The copycat craze is putting small artists and designers out of business

The iconic Fazeek wave glass, Maison Balzac’s PomPom range, and the instantly recognisable Fornasetti wall plates are but a few of the many designs being ripped off by mass-producing retailers. Consumers may love paying discount prices for a well-made ‘dupe’ but the copycat craze continues to put more designers and artists out of business.

While perfectly legal in some jurisdictions, blatant theft of original concepts is sadly all too common in the murky world of fast fashion and online retail. The hunger for new designs among retail giants like Kmart, Shein, and Amazon is endless, and it comes at the cost of small businesses.

Fast fashion brand Boohoo is capable of pumping out new designs in a single fortnight’s turnaround.