Urban Outfitters vs. Etsy Artist Battle Heats Up, Miley Cyrus on Team Handmade
The saga of the hardworking Etsy artist and the idea-stealing moguls at Urban Outfitters has gone infinitely more viral, thanks to former Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus- who pilloried the mall store on her Twitter.
It must be a bit of a blow to the chain to be caught red-handed so prolifically stealing from indie artists, as part of their brand identity is appearing less mass-produced and… well, indie. The tale is another example of how not to conduct business in the era of sharing and social media. In the past, a seller whose work was appropriated in such a way had far fewer ways to fight such an injustice. Maybe she could have written to her local paper, but it’s unlikely she’d have connected with the right people to be properly outraged at the practice.
But the nature of the internet and how sites like these are operated meant the exact people who would up and protest Urban Outfitters for the admittedly sleazy practice were able to access and exponentially share the story through the correct channels. Which got it in front of Miley’s eyes within a single day.
Has your perception of the “edgy” Urban Outfitters image changed since learning about the Etsy fiasco? And does this mean my Anthropologie sweater wasn’t hand-knitted by milkmaids in a roughly-hewn cabin in Germany with strands of elderflower stems?
Tags : etailers, etsy, etsy sellers, indie design, urban outfitters, urban outfitters steals designs
Posted: May 27, 2011
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May 27, 2011
There are so many ways to support real indie designers like http://www.indieshop.com!
May 27, 2011
um no surprise here but alot of jewlery companies make this same design…..james avery is one of them so urban outfitters wasnt copying. but if we are saying they are than so is the etsy artist.
May 27, 2011
um no surprise here but alot of jewlery companies make this same design…..james avery is one of them so urban outfitters wasnt copying. but if we are saying they are than so is the etsy artist.
May 29, 2011
You are full of it. Urban Outfitters has a history of copying indie designers and up until now they've gotten away with it- it's time someone gave them the smackdown! That Etsy artist makes her living off of her necklaces, and they are an original design because she makes them to order with the cutout heart over the customer's favorite city in that state or country. She's been on Etsy since 2005, and has been making her own original designs since then. So no, she is not copying, and before you shoot your mouth off you might want to check your facts.
May 29, 2011
You are full of it. Urban Outfitters has a history of copying indie designers and up until now they've gotten away with it- it's time someone gave them the smackdown! That Etsy artist makes her living off of her necklaces, and they are an original design because she makes them to order with the cutout heart over the customer's favorite city in that state or country. She's been on Etsy since 2005, and has been making her own original designs since then. So no, she is not copying, and before you shoot your mouth off you might want to check your facts.
Jun 2, 2011
This is awful. More people have to hear about scams like this so everyone can boycott them. I will never step foot in an Urban Outfitters again.
Jun 2, 2011
This is awful. More people have to hear about scams like this so everyone can boycott them. I will never step foot in an Urban Outfitters again.