Monday, Fashionista reported that Forever 21 released a knock-off hoodie ripped from Sporty & Rich, the brand created by Complex's own Emily Oberg. Forever 21 is frequently embroiled in similar claims, but rarely do we have the ability to get a close up, first-person perspective from the artist or designer behind whatever product is copied. We asked Emily to write from her perspective about what it's like to get knocked off and what she's doing about it. Forever 21 did not immediately respond to Complex's request for comment.
“2016 Attack of the Clones” is what someone tweeted at me in response to my post about Forever 21 copying my design—and it’s true. In the age we live in, everything is a copy of everything. More often than not, big box retailers steal the designs of lesser-known, independent brands and make shittier versions of what was once original. So, when Forever 21 blatantly copied my Sporty & Rich hoodies, I wasn’t all that surprised, but it was pretty lame. Not only did the retailer use the same exact italicized font, it also used a similar two-word phrase and printed it on the chest in the same spot as my design. The only change was that instead of the original wording, Forever 21 wrote “Smart & Pretty”— I just threw up in my mouth, too.
At first, I was like, “Nice, Forever 21 looks at my shit." It was flattering. It’s one of the biggest retailers in the world, and its stuff sells, so obviously the people there thought my design was good enough to share with their millions of customers. But after multiple people hit me up about how fucked up it was, I got a little bit tight. It’s not just the fact that Forever 21 made obvious fakes of my design; it’s more about the idea of ideas and protecting them—because ideas are sacred, and they belong to us.
A big company such as Forever 21 might not think that it hurts the smaller brands that it steals from, but it does, and in more ways than one. Not only does it hurt us financially—should people decide not to buy my more expensive hoodie and buy their cheap version instead—it also hurts our name and the brand that we have worked so tirelessly to build.
Do my hoodies incorporate an elaborate design? No. But a recognizable one? Absolutely. Forever 21's version was close enough to mine that someone walked into one of its stores and was able to tell right away that it was a copy of Sporty & Rich. It’s clear that we are at a point of absolutely no creativity and originality when it comes to big box retailers. And it’s fine to be inspired, have references, and pull ideas from social media. But if your only resort is to copy, at least be inventive with the way you do it.
I intend to go after Forever 21 and get what is owed to me, even if it's just for the retailer to take down the item and stop selling it in its stores. Small guys like us gotta eat, too.
