From June to October 2011, I worked as a sales associate at Zara. I was hired was for my good looks, extensive knowledge of fashion, and familiarity with the current collections of major designers. While most retailers loath to hear the word “knockoff,” the folks at Zara seem to embrace it. In fact, they want associates to tell customers which designers their stock is “inspired by,” to help sell product. One of my favorite games to play is “name that knockoff,” in which I see an item of clothing, and associate it with the designer clearly being ripped off. This is a game especially easy to play in Zara. Currently, they have several Jason Wu and Stella McCartney “inspired” pieces in-store (they’ve even got a designer impostor Dries Van Noten tank top!). These days, It looks like their design team is drawing inspiration from one of my favorite designers, Mary Katrantzou. Consider this aquarium-printed dress from Zara’s TRF collection:
Now look at this piece from Katrantzou’s Spring 2012 offerings:
The print is almost laughably similar. Will I probably still buy the Zara version? Short answer: Yes. Is this morally reprehensible of me? Possibly, but what is more upsetting is my lack of a full-time job, so deal with it, folks.
Tags: Dries van Noten, Jason Wu, Mary Katrantzou, Stella McCartney, Zara
