Fashion Portal Peddles a Namrata Joshipura Reproduction

INDIAN EXPRESS

Fashion Portal Peddles a Namrata Joshipura Reproduction

Delhi-based designer Namrata Joshipura, usually the one to take the lead to praise her peers and never hesitates to point out the lapses of professionalism in the fashion industry–woke up to a rude shock last Saturday. A customer called her up to say that a signature sequin top (see image) that she had bought for Rs 9000 from her store was being peddled by the portal 99labels for a lesser rate. When Namrata probed it further, she not only found that this was true but also that the portal was using an image of Priyanka Chopra in a blue coloured version of the top (in the original Namrata Joshipura) to sell the garment. When she questioned the portal, they gave her roundabout excuses saying a vendor had sold it to them and sent the image. Upon being asked why the portal didn’t check, Namrata was told that they only check when they sell international brands to make sure no knockoffs are sold off. Namrata’s point is clear: don’t Indian designers even deserve to be protected from plagiarism like international brands? 99Labels.com has pulled the garment for now but that hardly settles how unnerving business can become for some Indian designers.

As fashion becomes more democratic as well as more definitive and saleable in India, its time the fashion industry, either through a consortium of concerned designers determined to fight it out or FDCI wakes up to the threats and frustrations of plagiarism seriously.

https://archive.indianexpress.com/news/fashion-portal-peddles-a-namrata-joshipura-reproduction/987712/