Comments on: (not so) random links

By: Girl Gift

Girl Gift — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:26:14 +0000

This is the way things should be, get off what we are on now

By: Raphaelle

Raphaelle — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:29:56 +0000

I went to the Trashy Diva site and bought one of those adorable Trixie Dresses that were ripped off by (not so) Unique Vintage. I can’t believe that the fashion world has come to that! tsk tsk. Thanks for pointing this out to your loyal readers. I love supporting grassroots people and their creative businesses.

Hope you and the baby are hanging in there! Soon enough you’ll have a bundle to hold in your arms. Best of luck, Raphaelle

By: Mona

Mona — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:03:04 +0000

People are always stealing designs and tweaking them. I know that many designers have their assistants visit resale vintage and thrift stores to get some fresh ideas which are actually based on someone else’s design! As a designer/artist and personal crafter I find that I get inspiration from other artists whether it is a color or a design. However I would not copy someones else’s work. Look at the Foley and Corinna city tote that is so popular. That design was based off vintage purses. So can we say that the design is not totally theirs because they just derived their tote off another designers purse? Does the original designer of the vintage item feel that something was stolen from them? Or does it not matter because the designer of the vintage item is dead and their is no one to protect their rights? Or is their a statue of limitations placed on the length of a copyright?

As a designer(artist) I feel that the possibility of someone copying my designs is inevitable. Which is why I falter when I try to list items on my blog or on etsy. Jenny Hart has written a wonderful article on this at the Venus Magazine site. Having an online presence may boost sales and gain you notoriety but I would consult my lawyer first so I would know exactly how to protect my work and I would offer licensing agreements if someone wanted to use my designs in their own work. I have just faced it and I am aware that the laws to protect a designers work are not explict and until they are this will continue.

By: Ananke

Ananke — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:45:41 +0000

I just started colour coding my wardrobe, as part of a wider effort to find my own style. Part of that is my single, lonely, dress rule – my socks have to match something. Sometimes that thing is my mood, mostly a colour. And I’m allowed to have as many socksas I want.

Actually I have another rule – on days i work with kids, I wear pants.

By: Mallory

Mallory — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:49:26 +0000

Thanks so much for posting about Trashy Diva! I second what Ashe said above, just because people get away with design theft all the time doesn’t make it right. And especially in cases where the laws are fuzzy and there aren’t necessarily any great legal ways to prevent things like this from happening, it really is up to the consumer to do what they think is right. Therefore the people that know the truth have to do what they can to get the information out there, so that consumers can make informed decisions.

By: Gladys

Gladys — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:35:26 +0000

I don’t fold a lot of things, but the hanging stuff – especially pants and skirts – is done a certain way which reflects how I learned it on a retail job. I also like to iron, and try to iron anything that needs it before it goes into the closet – that way it is ready to be worn when I pull it out. Haven’t started ironing tees and jeans though—–

Love the Pollack bangle – what a great way to reuse what you already have!

By: Lady Smaggle

Lady Smaggle — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:10:37 +0000

Oh I’m all over the shop. I’m a bit of shover but a bit of a folder. I also live between my house and my boyfriend’s house so most of clothes have to be crumple friendly for packing in bags.

By: Sal

Sal — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:04:13 +0000

It’s kind of amazing that we haven’t seen a rash of lawsuits similar to the ones spawned by music industry woes. Must be because it’s the tiny indie folks getting screwed. Perhaps a big class action looms on the horizon. I can’t imagine the trend of thieving from designers changing without threat of legal action.

As for organization, I feel like a weird hybrid. Some items and groups are meticulously categorized and organized, but due to a space shortage, nothing is as tidy as I’d like. My dressing habits are similar: I definitely have parameters for what I will both buy and wear, but occasionally I tire of my “look” and either branch out or get lazy.

By: Ashe Mischief

Ashe Mischief — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:56:11 +0000

I almost emailed you the Trashy Diva story, myself!

One of the biggest things I keep reading is often, “It’s fashion, they should be flattered and get over it.” And I can’t help but think, “NO. Just because the law does not protect small and large designers alike does not mean that we should sit back and let such an instance happen.” There are boundaries, I think, in inspiration/copying/stealing designs, and I think Uniquely Vintage crossed them all.

Mallory left me a great link on my blog, to a site called Humid City. There are some amazing interview pieces in there, from their attempts to call Uniquely Vintage, to talking to Trashy Diva’s Manager, Angie, and one of their long-term employees, Veronica. I can only imagine how upsetting this all is, and they’re really a great group of women. I hate to see this happening. Anyhow, you should definitely check on the Humid City post– very brilliant and a worthwhile read.