WHEN Topshop started flogging a rather fetching yellow dungaree dress (rrp £35) last summer, those with an eye for fashion knew it was a dead ringer for a Chloé frock (ringing the tills at a slightly pricier £185). So it was perhaps no surprise when
the fashion house took the high-street store to court. In the end, Topshop backed down and was forced to destroy 2,000 dresses and pay £12,000 in costs.
Of course, the cheap copy is hardly big news. Last year George at Asda famously produced a multicoloured panel sundress (£16) that bore an uncanny resemblance to one by DKNY (£360). And Peacocks produced a stripy blazer (£18) that was an obvious homage to one by Balenciaga (£1,130).
Balenciaga's creative director Nicholas Ghesquiere retains a certain sang-froid over the whole issue, saying: "I'm okay with copying – it's just a cycle, I guess."
Miuccia Prada, too, seems to accept the inevitable. "The high street, actually, is kind of good," she says. "The only thing is that you're always forced to do something new, something more. You are never allowed to enjoy anything because it's always everywhere and then over, over, over in a very short time. In fact, that's very English. But this kind of obsession is also realistic. I see it in myself. You're never satisfied and so you're always changing."
Other fashion houses are not so tolerant, however. Before it gave Topshop short shrift, Chloé had already taken on Kookaï. Marks & Spencer felt the sharp end of a Jimmy Choo boot when it was forced to destroy thousands of handbags the designer claimed were copies of its Cosmo bag. Ditto New Look, which withdrew thousands of shoes in an attempt to avoid the wrath of Jimmy Choo.
Even Christian Louboutin's famous scarlet soles are not immune. The French shoemaker was apparently hopping mad when all manner of brands including New Look started imitating the look. He is currently embroiled in legal action with US company Oh Deer! in an attempt to trademark the soles.
It's not just the couturiers who are at risk either. Karen Millen recently won a court case against Irish discount chain Dunnes Stores over a 'knock-off' shirt. And Monsoon secured damages from Primark for selling cheaper copies of its skirts, trousers, scarves and bikinis. Even Primark accused fellow discounter Matalan of copying one of its hooded jumpers.
And a worrying recent development for luxury goods makers was a report in which half of the British adults questioned admitted buying a designer lookalike in the past year.
"It's the way fashion works," says Sarah Murray, owner of the Jane Davidson designer boutique in Edinburgh, "and it's a fact that it is always going to happen, particularly now as the runway shows are directly on the internet almost as soon as they happen."
It's all a far cry from the grand old days, when high-end fashion houses, including Chanel and Dior, sold on their patterns to specially selected high-street buyers. That way designers kept control of their designs, making a nice wad of cash into the bargain, and you and I could buy a genuine, cut-price Chanel suit off the peg at Wallis. Which would rather put a yellow pinafore into the shade, don't you think?
The full article contains 561 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
