Gold Coast label Paris & I claim activewear designs have been copied by Ashy Bines and Asset Apparel
A Gold Coast activewear label is claiming Ashy Bines and another brand have copied their design for a luxe bodysuit.
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FITNESS queen Ashy Bines has been caught up in a three-way spat over the design of a luxe bodysuit worth $130.
Gold Coast activewear label Paris & I has accused Baseline by Ashy Bines and Asset Apparel of “ripping off” its signature piece, and has spoken out because it has “had enough”.
Bines and Asset Apparel owner Chelsi Campbell rubbished the accusations, saying their brands were “inspired by multiple designs” and there was “no telling as to who the original designer was”.
The Paris & I’s luxe bodysuit was designed with booty shorts, “scrunch bum” and low-plunge double-strap crisscross back. It was released in five colours in June 2019 and retails for $129.99.
Paris & I, owned by Pairs-Rose Paterson and Sammi Fulton-Kennedy, says Baseline by Ashy Bines – which has almost 50,000 online followers – and Asset Apparel both made their announcements of the soon-to-be released bodysuit about two weeks ago.
“(Last) Monday a few of our girls had been sending us videos from Ashy Bines about this unreleased bodysuit saying they designed it,” Ms Paterson said.
“We kept having more people sending it through saying ‘it’s exactly your designs’. They are rip-offs. We’ve had enough.
“It was really upsetting for us because we’re a small brand and we spent a long time, months actually, trying to perfect that design.”
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Ms Paterson and Ms Fulton-Kennedy said they didn’t want to take legal action, so decided to call out the two brands online.
They posted a series of photos on the Paris & I Instagram account, which has 17,000 followers, telling people to buy “authentic” and support small businesses.
Hundreds of Paris & I customers and fans have called out the accused labels, including Hit 90.9 radio host Bella Frizza.
“We’re sold out at the moment and we don’t want people to think it’s the same thing because it’s not,” Ms Paterson said.
“Some small brands don’t even get a chance for people to see it happening and just assume the bigger brands are the ones that did it first. We’ve seen that so much in the industry and want to put a stop to it.
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Ashy Bines strongly denied the allegations and said she planned to release her bodysuit on September 16.
“(It’s) the sixth iteration of a design we have working hard to perfect over nine months,” Mrs Bines said.
“Our body suit, of which there are many currently in the market, was inspired by our Baseline Hustle tank that we featured in our very first collection.”
Asset Apparel owner Chelsi Campbell messaged the Paris & I Instagram page asking Ms Paterson and Ms Fulton-Kennedy to remove their post.
“I’m really devastated by this as I’m just starting out my brand,” Ms Campbell messaged.
“I have actually been a Paris & I customer many times. I love your leggings. I promise you I did not intentionally have something designed the same as yours.”
Ms Campbell planned to launch her activewear business in October.
“The garment in question was inspired by multiple designs from various established brands who also make very similar bodysuits,” Ms Campbell told the Bulletin.
“Unless a brand has copyright or trademark certification, there really is no telling as to who the original designer was.
“We have since compared our design to theirs and there are noticeable differences. The whole look of our garment is completely different.
“I have nothing but respect and admiration for the girls at Paris & I and I wish them all the best.”
Ms Paterson and Ms Fulton-Kennedy founded Paris & I about two years ago because they were unable to find activewear to suit them.
“We’re both fitness fanatics who have always loved the gym and we wanted to make things for the everyday woman,” Ms Paterson said.
“We believe our customers are more like a family so we created a little community and following.”
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