Sonam’s Dior Dress Gets Caught In The Middle Of A Copyright Controversy

By Pearl Nimbalkar

on January 24, 2018

It was just last month, we saw Sonam Kapoor grace the cover of Elle magazine, in breathtaking fashion-forward ensembles. Her Boho Dior outfit, in particular, had all the gen next and millennials jumping with sartorial joy. If only we knew that the dress was an absolute rip off!

The Elle cover which was the talk-of-the-town for all the right reasons, in January, is once again hogging the entire possible spotlight, only this time, it’s stuck in the middle of a copyright mess.

Yes, a Delhi based fashion brand, People Tree, have accused this giant international luxury label of plagiarism.

The Delhi-based brand which also has a studio store in Mumbai, is making front page news for accusing the ace style beacon Christian Dior of plagiarism, after spotting their block prints on Sonam’s outfit, on the Elle cover.

Talking to a leading daily, Orijit Sen, co-founder of People Tree, said: "I'm angry. It's virtually a copy-paste job of our design. The graphic designer created the print in question, The Yoga Print, in early 2000, right after he founded the collaborative art and design studio with wife Gurpreet Sidhu in 1990. Since, it has appeared widely on T-shirts, tunics, shirts, sundresses and fabric yardage, all sold under the People Tree label. "It's one of our classics, which has sustained itself because of its popularity. It's not just a question of inspiration. They [Dior] have also copied the colour combination. It's a total rip off. We are in talks with a lawyer to see what our legal options are," said Sidhu.

He further added, "India is a hotbed of textiles. Gandhiji used khadi as a symbol of resistance and change. Now, mega brands are walking all over our heritage. Art is the free-flowing exchange of ideas. Would I rather concern myself with protecting it? Instead of supporting and honoring Indian crafts and textiles, they [big labels] are feeding off our hard labor."