Diane Von Furstenberg Steals Designs!

Remember that jacket that Olivia pulled for the cover of Elle Magazine on The City? Oh wait, she didn’t. I meant Whitney. Anyway, it turns out that the jacket’s design was stolen from a much-less known design group, Mercy. Too bad for DVF it got much press and now it has come back to haunt them. By the way, Mercy’s version goes for $300. DVF’s goes for $1,500. Whoa!

The case here is especially succulent since Diane von Furstenberg is attempting to establish a law that strictly prohibits the very behavior that her shop performed. She is the President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. I wonder if they don robes and masks at their meetings and they sit in a circle to discuss the issues.

But industry insiders tell me this happens all the time. It’s really a grey area, as many trends are first introduced through fashion shows which are seen by anyone who wishes to see them and professional trend services who can “direct” designs for head designers based on mounds of research.

I guess the good folks at Diane von Furstenberg decided to take a pass one day and stole the design. The designers at Mercy were interviewed and wondered out loud, “"As you (DVF) were tearing it apart with seam rippers, did you at least appreciate the effort and the workmanship?" Ouch. It turns out a settlement involving financial considerations has been reached. It always hurts when they have to literally “pay” for their crime.