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Yesterday, one of everyone’s favorite celebrity bloggers, Perez Hilton, posted a piece (click here) about Gwen Stefani suing Forever 21 for ripping off some of the stuff she pimps under the L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers lines. At first I was kind of skeptical, and took the side of the budget fashion metropolis. After all, no item in fashion is ever inherently “unique”. Styles recycle and become a source of inspiration for revamped items. There’s only so much you can do- even with time. Besides, that’s the nature of the fashion world. It’s called trickle down, people… Probably best explained by Meryl Streep’s Miranda character in “The Devil Wears Prada”:

“This… ’stuff’? Oh… ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean. You’re also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn’t it, who showed cerulean military jackets? And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff.”

Heh. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to use that!

Anywho, I understand that Gwen’s case might have been referring to items that both she and Forever 21 presented in past seasons, but try as I might, I couldn’t find anything on my own. I did, however, find a bunch of items on their website that are definitely Gwen-inspired.

Then today, desperate for information, I returned to Perez’s site to see if he’d turned up anything more on the topic. Yup. More dish. (click here). Then I hit the web, knowing that we’d had ample time for more stories to rise up. Perhaps the best pictorial I found was over at Shop Diary (click here).

So why isn’t she suing Wet Seal and Aeropostale too? Maybe she will eventually. Next question… why aren’t any of these copies of the upscale L.A.M.B. line? I know that these goods were more affordable than what’s available from Harajuku Lovers, but HL’s stuff is within easier reach for most of us! This just makes me wonder about the motives of these retailers… If you’re going to copy something- copy the expensive stuff! Duh!

All in all, I think Gwen is right. She is being blatantly ripped off. I’m all for seeing less expensive versions of designer pieces. Mimicking a cut is one thing. Copying a graphic or print is another. I don’t want to see any of the above mentioned retail stores suffer- but somewhere in all of this- some semblance of morals and ethics has to be maintained. Perhaps all of this was karma’s way of teaching Gwen what it feels like. She herself is being sued by Le Sportsac (who started it all with Gwen’s line of L.A.M.B. purses) for copying their Japanese street look products via HL’s purses. It’s all a wicked web, ain’t it?

We wanted to get in on the fun, of course… and in honor of Gwen and Forever 21, I’ve thrown together a few outfits. If you really want to get Gwen’s look for less, here’s how to do it. The irony of this kills me. I think I laughed the whole time I was putting this together! (FYI- her look is easy to replicate if you follow a few pointers… think black and white, pops of red, stripes, rasta colors, animal prints, sailor style, military influenced, ska-like plaids, graphic prints, Harajuku/Lolita, gored slip on shoes, platform heels, blah blah blah.)

All items listed may be purchased at Forever 21 (www.forever21.com), unless otherwise noted (because their shoe and bag departments are the two areas that are definitely lacking over there).

Gaby tunic, $12.80
Linen sailor pants, $27.80
Sunglasses, $4.80
Cotton Vest, $19.80
Textured cuff in gold, $5.80
Polished hoops, $4.80
Patent snap button clutch in black and white, $15.80
Peep Toe slingback, $19.80
Grand total? $111.40

Satin dress, $27.80
Stretch dress pant, $22.80
Sunglasses, $4.80
Satin Headband in silver, $4.80
Polished ball necklace in silver, $5.80
Textured link bracelet in silver, $4.80
Red small stam quilted purse, $32.99 www.accessorybug.com
Old school plaid heel in red, $22.99 www.gojane.com
Grand total? $126.78

Striped mini skirt, $22.00
Diva tube top, $12.80
Cotton Jacket with belt, $24.80
Chanzee heel, $23.99 www.gojane.com
Clear tote, $26.80
Three’s company bangles in red, $4.80
Plastic hoop earrings in green, $3.80
Grand total? $118.99

And that, my friends, is the end of the story… For now…

Technorati Tags: Gwen Stefani, Lawsuits, Forever 21, L.A.M.B., Harajuku Lovers, Le Sportsac, Aeropostale, Wet Seal, Knock Offs, Copying, Stealing, Fashion, Clothing, Go Jane, Accessory Bug, Shop Diary, The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep, Styling, Stylist, Design, Designer

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I was very inspired by the new fall ready to wear collection from Moschino Cheap & Chic. I loved the eclectic use of pattern, color, and texture. I think what struck me most though, was the subtle yet amplified sense of whimsy it expressed- especially with the dog handbags. I’ve been thinking about redecorating my place for a while now, and want something hip and fun. Then the idea struck me… why not translate what I loved about this clothing to my living space? I started with some basic pieces of furniture, and then looked for something different, something playful, something… well, like the birdcage curtains. Once that was nailed down, it just snowballed. Below are my inspiration pieces, and of course none of them are outrageously priced!

Lumino round mirror, $150.00 www.pier1.com
Thomas O’Brien pocket watch wall clock, $19.99 www.target.com
Portfolio 5 light bronze crystal flower chandelier, $77.33 www.lowes.com
50’s birdcage panels, $28.00 each www.urbanoutfitters.com
New American black side table, $79.99 www.bedbathandbeyond.com
Manhattan convertible lounger- khaki, $298.55 www.walmart.com
Handan stool, $129.00 www.pier1.com
Salvor Fauna mini animal pillow- chat, $48.00 www.designpublic.com
Rice paper lantern floor lamp, $29.99 www.target.com
Teal drum table lamp, $50.00 www.pier1.com
Lava glitter table lamp, $32.99 www.target.com
Hanging votives, $8.99 each www.spiegel.com
Aroman-mis ginger pear pillar candles, $7.99-$9.99 www.spiegel.com
Home solid-color silk toss pillow- paprika, teal, dark green, $16.99 each www.target.com
Klubbo coffee table in black-brown, $39.99 www.ikea.com
Tassel floor cushions in blue surf, $27.99 each www.jcpenney.com
Tylosand chair in everod orange, $239.00 www.ikea.com
Salong vase in smoked, $4.99 www.ikea.com
Striped glass vase, $15.00 www.pier1.com
Apollo av unit, $199.99 www.target.com
Andrea Rund rug, $299.00 www.ikea.com
Down throw in apple, $31.99 www.amazon.com
Rust iron fireplace screen, $59.99 www.target.com

4 Comments »

I know, I know… You’ve seen the shows on TV. Anyone can pull it together if they have their own stylist, right? Don’t believe the hype! You can do it on your own. All it takes is a little ingenuity.

Consider my two case studies. Both outfits are from this season’s ready to wear collections.

The first is a cute little ensemble by Michael Kors. The gist is to get the style down- it doesn’t have to be a direct interpretation. Pulling that off without buying the actual pieces would be damn near impossible (not to mention expensive!). That being said, we’ve traded in the pleated knit for a lacey strapless number, and added some jet beads to make up for the black band that we lack. I’d leave off the sash that comes with the sweater. Also, the shoes mimic the original but they’re not a carbon copy. Are you feeling this now? It’s all in the way you take it and make it your own!

The second example is unfussy outfit from Marc Jacobs. Our blouse is actually a bodysuit. I think this would work better anyhow. We’ve also traded the ruffles for a bow. A sleek belt was added to add polish, and the shoes give the same ribbon wrapped impression.

I’ll try to do some more of these in the future to inspire you. This is something I try to do when I see an outfit in a magazine that I really like. Many times I’ll try to work with what I’ve got in my closet, rather than buying all new pieces. You’d be amazed at what you can do when you put on your thinking cap!

Outfit One
Jonathan Martin Bow Front Strapless Lace Dress $15.00 www.15dollarstore.com
Daisy Fuentes Cardigan Tunic $26.40 www.kohls.com
Assets by Sara Blakley Leggings $12.00 www.target.com
Boatneck Tee $19.00 www.victoriassecret.com
Nina Vallera Sandals $39.99 www.famousfootwear.com
Graduated Disco Ball Necklace $5.80 www.forever21.com
Total Price- $118.19

Outfit Two
Bow-Front Bodysuit $48.00 www.victoriassecret.com
Jena Knit Skirt $28.50 www.delias.com
Merona Rectangle Buckle Belt $12.99 www.target.com
Satin Ankle-Wrap Sandal $39.00 www.spiegel.com
Total Price- $128.49

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I loved most of what we saw for ready to wear this spring! I’m all about some slouchy pieces that are paired together with a strategy, all while feeling haphazard and unintentional. Throw that in with Anna Sui’s edgy style and the whole positive/negative with a dash of red thing, and you’ve got a winner. It seems that I’m not the only one that feels that way.

Check out what’s going on over at Forever 21… Some savvy buyer over there must be channeling the divine Ms. Sui. The similarities are uncanny. There are lots of sweet dresses, tops, and tunics that would make any girl drool. Add a necklace in black or red with a heart motif or other, and you’ve got yourself some instant style!

Much love to Anna, just for being wonderful… And much love to the Forever people for making the whole look attainable!

But of course, you can find them at www.forever21.com.

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