Depending on which side of the fashion food chain you fall on Forever 21 is either awesome for copying designer fashion at a sliver of the price or horrible for it. Now a court case by Trovata might endanger their ability to “flatter” more expensive labels.
From Racked:
The lawsuit is going to trial, and if Trovata wins, Forever 21 might have to be much more careful with their designs. Even if they don’t, it sounds like the fast-fashion retailer’s checkered legal past is beginning to catch up with it. In a separate lawsuit involving Anthropologie, a New York judge chastised the brand, saying, “We note the extraordinary litigating history of this company, which raises the most serious questions as to whether it is a business that is predicated in large measure on the systematic infringement of competitors’ intellectual property.” In other words, where there’s this much legal smoke, there must be fire.
It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit goes. On the one hand, it’s pretty obvious from the photo that the Forever 21 items are blatant copies. On the other hand, how many clothing items are truly unique? Would American Eagle sue Hollister for making similar tanks with a similar logo? Hard to say who wins here.
I agree! And I also find it verrrry interesting. This is a good read on the background of F21 and the case of them copying:Steal This LookOn one hand I think it's a shame that they sometimes copy other designers so blatantly. On the other…with this crappy economy, I find myself perusing their website more and more for trendy pieces I'll only wear a few times (and can't justify dropping hundreds of dollars on). It's a tricky situation, definitely.
abercrombie & fitch did file a lawsuit against american eagle a few years ago saying they had copied their designs, in-store displays, advertisements, and catalogs. the court ruled for american eagle saying that there was not enough similarity to confuse people. in that case, i agree… i used to (sometimes still do) shop at both stores frequently and for different reasons. and, after all, a tank top is a tank top everywhere just in different colors and textures.however, those copies look way more specifically similar. it'll be interesting to see how this plays out!
I am torn on this one. On one hand, I love going there and finding a staple or trendy piece cheap to wear for one season. On the other hand, when I spend a lot on something, I don't want people to think it is from Forever 21. Tough call. I will say, I have noticed the prices going up. I would rather get something from Anthro. on sale for 30 or 30 than spend 26 on something that will fall apart.