Monday, July 2, 2012

Inspiration = Flattery? Kate Spade Enchantment Under the Sea Coin Purse vs ModCloth Carp Diem

Obviously shoes are not the only thing that can and will be knocked-off by some sites.

Case in point...

Kate Spade each season puts out a whimsical little coin purse to go along with their current collection.  From tennis balls to owls to pineapples and hedgehogs, they are a cute little luxe item.  A few seasons back they created the Enchantment Under the Sea fishy.  I loved the crinkly gold and the clever use of the clutch opening to create a wide mouth.




But now this piece has been almost exactly recreated and listed for sale on ModCloth as the Carp Diem Clutch.





I hate to keep picking on ModCloth but they keep insisting on picking up knock-offs.  Either they know it and are okay with that (hello TopShop!) or they are woefully ignorant of what's out and popular in the fashion world.  I mean, this isn't my job and I can see these examples in 2 seconds, shouldn't their buyers know better?

Or are they more about selling cute (albeit not original designs) to the masses???

Thoughts?

UPDATE 7-2-12 2:31pm: ModCloth has responded and is taking down the piece -

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We're committed to supporting original designs and the valid intellectual property of all designers, and our designers and suppliers guarantee that they have full legal ownership and copyright to their designs. We're removing the Carp Diem Purse from our site based on your feedback, and if you have any follow-up questions, please contact press@modcloth.com. Thanks again, Turi at ModCloth

Thank you for your response, ModCloth!

3 comments:

Lara said...

They know what they're doing and they know they can get away with it. The "designers" are lazy losers without an ounce of original thought.
I wish it was the industry standard that these lying cheats would get fired on the spot as soon as a higher up found out a design was stolen.

staceymayer said...

Loved your article! Another carp? Not to mention the birds or frogs they could have adapted. Ask a two year old, they would have heard a dozen ideas!

I have my equine art stolen often. So, I'm on the side of firing any "designer" that steals.

Turi (ModCloth) said...

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We're committed to supporting original designs and the valid intellectual property of all designers, and our designers and suppliers guarantee that they have full legal ownership and copyright to their designs. We're removing the Carp Diem Purse from our site based on your feedback, and if you have any follow-up questions, please contact press@modcloth.com. Thanks again, Turi at ModCloth