Forever 21 is once again facing controversy with a new plagiarism accusation regarding its designs. Independent artists often worry about having their ideas and designs stolen by bigger corporations, and Marta Freedman, founder of Hot Girls Eating Pizza, tells Nylon that she feels Forever 21 scooped up her popular design without giving credit.
The shirts, sold on Depop, say, "Hot Girls Eating Pizza" and have become a favorite among the Instagram fashion crowd. Forever 21's design is nearly identical and Freeman feels that it is a little too close to comfort. What complicates this situation, however, is who inspired Freedman: None other than Kanye West. This sticky point raises an important question: At what point are we simply recycling someone else's ideas instead of using them to inspire our own?
It's worth pointing out that just a few months ago, Forever 21 was selling a shirt that was strikingly similar to one sold as merch on Kanye's Saint Pablo tour. Uh oh.
"My T-shirt was made as a nod to Kanye, Forever 21's shirt was made to make money. Period," Freedman explained to Nylon. Freedman allegedly has chosen not to pursue legal action against the goliath retailer, as she, like many indie designers, feels a legal battle won't go anywhere.
According to Nylon, Forever 21 hasn't yet commented on the situation. And for the record, neither has Kanye.