White Fox Boutique accused of copycat designs by influencers
A multimillion-dollar Sydney fashion brand is being accused of copying the designs of small Australian retailers. Compare the designs.
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Australian fashion brand White Fox Boutique has been accused of selling the fashion designs similar to those of small retailers, leading to influencers boycotting the multimillion-dollar label as experts warn the issue is a growing problem in the sector.
Social media influencers and small businesses have taken to TikTok and Instagram to share side-by-side images of products which they say closely resemble other Australian and international brands including Mr Winston, Miaou and Dion Lee.
The Sydney-based company claims to have a “diverse range of clothing” but some have questioned the originality of some designs. While experts say copycat behaviour is a growing problem in the fashion sector, it is not always unlawful because copyright laws only allow a limited level of protection.
Since it began in 2013, the business has generated a forecasted net worth of $6.31 million in just seven years, with the company attributing their success largely to social media.
From humble origins selling clothes on eBay, the label is now worn by celebrities like the Kardashians, Hailey Baldwin and Emily Ratajkowski.
The brand saw a surge in sales during the pandemic.
Small business owner and micro-influencer Ilah Watson is one of several people to accuse the business of creating designs which resemble other brands’ products.
She recently shared an image of a blue mini skirt and crop top design from her online retail brand Vesper.co alongside what appears to be an almost identical design from White Fox with the comment: “Am I crazy, or…?”
Social media users have also highlighted apparent similarities, with one user commenting on a post from White Fox “wait, I’ve seen that in Cotton On” and another remarking: “Unsure why you need to copy every other business.”
The backlash has led to ex-White Fox brand ambassador 18-year-old Sophia Begg boycotting the label. She cancelled her contract with the company because of the design similarities.
“I no longer work with this company, I think the copying is awful,” Sophia shared in comments on TikTok.
Influencer Liana Elizabeth in January said she had lost collaboration opportunities with the brand after “calling [them] out” for alleged copycat designs.
Earlier, she posted a series of images comparing White Fox designs to other brands with the comment: “White Fox at it again.”
Just a few days ago, she called for other influencers to boycott the label, criticising those “who still work with White Fox even tho they’ve been called out daily for (this behaviour)”.
Olivia Hitchens, legal adviser to the Australian Retailers Association, said copycat behaviour can undermine the profitability of smaller businesses.
“Copycat behaviour is incredibly problematic for small business who design/produce unique items – only to have other businesses rip them off,” she said.
“We have seen this with many of our clients who find their products have been either directly replicated by others or closely “inspired”. This can mean the original design and product gets lost in the market, sales are missed and other traders benefit from their creations. It is really frustrating for small businesses who lack the resources to protect their designs.”
She said copyright entitlements can be difficult to uphold in the fashion industry.
“There is a lot of misinformation about copyright in respect of fashion. When fashion designs are reproduced in a commercial quantity, copyright in the original design is lost and the owner needs to have registered a design in order to have protection,” she said.
“Even if a design is registered, with enough alteration, a copycat can release a very similar item without recourse.”
White Fox said in a statement: “White Fox takes intellectual property and the allegations in your email very seriously. As these matters have been referred to our lawyers, we are not in a position to comment.”
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