Poppy Lissiman stays ahead of the curve while copycats keep coming for her designs

She’s the Aussie designer celebrities love and fast fashion loves to copy. Poppy Lissiman opens up about being duped by major retailers.

From her cult-favourite handbags to her latest eyewear range, Aussie designer Poppy Lissiman has become something of a ‘dupe’ magnet.

Her pieces are copied so quickly and so often, it has become part of her reality — one she has reluctantly learned to navigate by staying ahead of the curve.

“It sucks,” Lissiman told Confidential.

“This sounds cliche, but you’ve just always got to stay ahead, because the reality is they don’t really come up with their own ideas anyway.

“I don’t think people know that. I’m just always innovating and thinking of the next thing, which I’ve always done anyway.”

Aussie designer Poppy Lissiman has spoken out about her experience with having her fashion designs duped by other retailers. Picture: Supplied

Lissiman was just 19 when she launched her fashion label ‘Poppy Lissiman’ from her bedroom in Perth.

Today, her accessories are worn by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Bella Hadid.

While frustrating, Lissiman says knock-offs are rarely aimed at her core customer base.

“There’s no shade against them or their customers, but the customer that’s buying that particular product from them that’s a copy of mine, is not the same customer coming to me. It’s a huge difference in price for one,” she said.

“It’s not ideal but the reality is, it’s not the same customer.”

Now 37, Lissiman says her designs have been copied by major retailers, with Confidential spotting similar styles at Target, Kmart, Cotton On, and several others.

Aussie designer Poppy Lissiman has spoken out about her experience with having her fashion designs duped by other retailers. Picture: Supplied

While it started with her iconic handbags, her sunglasses have become the latest product to be replicated.

“I was on Free People the other day and they had a few of my sunglasses,” she explained.

“But I suspect that they’re probably private label ones, because I’ve seen them in other places. There’s nothing you can really do in that instance because they’re already in the market.”

One particularly surreal moment came during New York Fashion Week a couple years ago, when her designs had only just launched and yet had already been copied.

“It was when my little skinny glasses had kind of gone viral. Bella [Hadid] had worn them that week,” she said.

Pictured is a Poppy Lissiman bag on the left, alongside a dupe. Picture: Supplied

“I was carting around a box of these samples, busting my dot, walking from appointment to appointment. I was leaving one, walking down Canal Street where all the fake Louis Vuitton bags and knock-offs are and every single stall that had sunglasses already had copies of mine.

“Every single one. And they had only just been released, I can’t even tell you how fast it happened. It was crazy.”

For Lissiman, it’s not worth wasting energy chasing “copycats” through legal channels, not when it’s so common in the fashion world.

“It happens to everyone in fashion. You just have to keep going and not let it get to you,” she said.

“You can go down the path of being really litigious, but you’ve got to pick your battles.”

As she marks 17 years in business, and with the recent launch of The Write-Off Collection, a limited-edition EOFY capsule created in collaboration with H & R Block Australia, Lissiman reflects on the rollercoaster journey of building a self-funded brand.

“It’s been amazing,” she said.

“Goes in peaks and troughs, as I think a lot of fashion does, and any kind of small business. There’s certainly been ups and downs. But I’ve loved every minute of it. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I feel incredibly lucky that I get to do this as a full-time job.”

The alleged retailers have been contacted for comment.

Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email [e-mail]