Long-time readers may remember last June when I had to use this blog post here to alert Sewists to industrial espionage. Hobbs had copied Scruffy Badger’s dress.
Virtually identical to…
It is with a heavy heart I reveal, almost a full year on, that the same store is resorting to more despicable behaviour. Only this time, they’re moving FAST.
Remember when Tilly blogged in mid-April about hand painting stripes onto your clothes?
So groovy, so unusual, so … unique. Think again, friends. Someone at Hobbs clearly reads sewing blogs. I wandered past a store last week – only two weeks after Tilly’s blog post went live – and did a double take.
Evidence A
Those surely are hand painted stripes, aren’t they? Let’s take a closer look.
Evidence B
Yup, EXACTLY the same as Tilly’s. On further inspection of the store, I discovered that they’d also shamelessly stolen some poor knitter’s hand knitted cushions for – can you believe it – the comfort of resting customers!!! Do these people know no shame?
I implore you all to stay safe, stay hidden – or at least ask for a discount.
The scandal!!!!
Ooh, you were brave taking those photos: you know how aggressive store staff get when they suspect others of espionage….
I know, I was totally waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder. But they were handing out glasses of prosecco that evening (more outrageous behaviour) and were therefore distracted. Though they were probably secretly checking out my me-made clothes…
I heard through the grapevine they were launching a range of pyjama pants…..!
Ha, ha, ha!!! How very dare they!
I hate to rain on your parade but big chain fashion stores just don’t work that fast in my experience. those dresses would have been designed around christmas time, to leave time for approval, drafting the pattern, finding or manufacturing fabric, sampling, fitting, adjusting, resampling, and finally manufacturing the dress itself.
Im not saying fashion designers don’t copy ideas because i know they do but in Tilly and Scruffy Badger’s case i think its more a case of great minds think alike!
My parade is a very silly and joking one, Leah, so rain away!
nope, it is all a conspiracy. your parade needs umbrellas outfiitted with swords in the handles!
I was 98% sure this was a joke. Karen’s reply confirmed that.
I wonder if I could get a similar effect by using a Photoshop brush and then shipping a file to Spoonflower?
shameless for sure!
Lol! Just goes to show we home sewists have the best ideas! 😀
Hehehe. I know a few anthro tech designers who follow sewing blogs. Nice girls, too. 😉
One could rightfully be indignant
Just goes to show how fashion-forward we are! A seamstress blogger: The true definition of a trend setter! 🙂
Hehe, brilliant!
I believe this happens all of the time…… let me modify…… I know this happens all of the time. Businesses with resources copy, exploit and profit from our creations. Oh yeah ….. and pass them off as their own.
Yeah, it happens all the time. Still – it is upsetting. I guess the upside is that they really must see a lot of merit in these sewing blogs!
I hope you took TWO glasses of prosecco!!! 😉
The cheek of it!!! Not only Hobbs, but I opened up Psychologies magazine earlier this week (I don’t buy magazines, Perri Lewis gave it to me when we had lunch this week, and it’s surprisingly good as it happens) and there was a photo of someone wearing a hand painted thin blue striped Breton top in it. Well, I say hand painted, but it was clearly mass produced.
Not only my clothing designs, my dad informed me this week that there is a character on The Archers who has stolen my identity! http://bbc.in/ICS3ew
That’s hilarious! I want to see the Thai coconut dance next time we meet up.
Even though they may have copied Tilly, imitation is the sincerest for of flattery. At least their taking inspiration from every day folks and not celebrities like Paris Hilton.
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