By Gabriel Bras Nevares:
Pharrell is having a ball as Louis Vuitton’s head designer, though it hasn’t come without some scrutiny as of late. Moreover, an independent fashion designer Kellie Ford recently claimed that the Neptunes creative and LV stole her idea for a bag as part of their new collection. In a series of TikToks, she details how she went viral in 2021 for turning a shopping bag from the brand into a stylish purse. In addition, Ford drew connections between the look of that item and the new accessory in question, also inspired by the shopping bag. Regardless of where you fall on the debate, it’s hard to deny that it’s quite the murky affair.
First of all, as many pointed out in comments of coverage of the allegations, the designer was using Louis Vuitton’s image in the first place. However, it’s unclear whether Ford actually sought to make a profit off of the bag by selling it, so copyright claims might not actually hold any ground. Dapper Dan was one of many who praised her, and he started out doing a similar practice with Gucci and eventually went on to work for them. Between differences in material, questions over creative credit, and the clear viral nature of the video, there’s a lot to discuss here when it comes to whether to not Pharrell bit the idea.
Photo By: Dimitrios Kambouris Copyright: 2016 Getty Images
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