Forever 21 gets called out again for copying, this time by an indie designer

By

Rebecca Taras

Published
May 11, 2017

On the heels of accusations that Forever 21 ripped off “The Life of Pablo” collection by Kanye West and Puma filing for copyright infringement, the discount retailer is now being accused of allegedly copying the work of an indie designer.

Los-Angeles-based brand Valfré—founded by Ilse Valfré—is known on Instagram for its whimsical posts, including photos of products such as its best-selling rainbow smartphone case. According to the brand, Forever 21 produced a case that was a “blatant copy” of their prized product, which prompted the company to hire a lawyer and issue a cease-and-desist letter. The discovery was made by loyal fans of the Valfré brand. When comparing the two cases, it appears that the only changes to the Forever 21 rainbow case are the color scheme and the elimination of a logo in the bottom left corner—where an identical cloud is showcased.

Ads

This is not the first time Forever 21 and sister brand Rue 21 have been accused of ripping off Valfré’s products (no mention of what these items were), but the smartphone case was too shocking to avoid taking action. The brand has yet to hear back from Forever 21, despite the request to cooperate in the proceedings and offer a reasonable compensation for the alleged knock-off.