Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Mociun v. Lela Rose (fashion copies)

i love caitlin mociun's dresses. especially her tie-front dress, which she does nearly every season with different fabrics and patterns.

$288 from www.beklina.com


so i'm pretty annoyed that Lela Rose is doing the virtually the same dress.


$795 from www.bergdorfgoodman.com "The in-demand dress with a unique, oversized tie."

i know there's been controversy about fashion design and intellectual property law, especially with cheaper knock-offs by Forever 21, H&M, etc. even places like Banana Republic have been known to tweak ideas from designers like 3.1 Philip Lim.

granted, this mociun design is pretty simple. but it's also one of her signature dresses. i find it disturbing that a really smart and inventive designer like Lela Rose is basically copying another smart designer.

don't get me wrong, i love Lela Rose. her wedding dresses are the perfect antidote to factory-produced big-name designers. her attention to detail is impeccable, the shapes are modern and interesting, and unconventional fabrics are often employed.



i can't decide what makes me more depressed: a favorite indie designer's idea was copied by another favorite "upscale indie" designer OR someone at Lela Rose thought that people would pay nearly $800 for a very simple dress when she's known for quirky details and luxurious fabrics (i.e. not cotton-acetate-metallic nylon).

1 comment:

Unknown said...

hey there, i accidentally bought the mociun
tie front dress in espresso hemp and silk with navy aerograph print (size small) on sale at impulse right now and was wondering if you want to buy it from me for $219...or maybe somethat reads ur blog. i thought it was this coppery gold color i had seen in a local store at a much higher price...but alas it is definitely espresso. btw, i bet some of lela's designers are brooklyn girls, who probably have seen caitlin's dresses in the local boutiques...