The ‘it girl’ brand influencers are obsessed with
A Melbourne based slow-fashion label is making a name for itself, with influencers obsessing over its sustainable, colourful designs.
Fashion
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A Melbourne fashion designer has lashed out at the “shameless” copycat versions of her cult-designs.
Cait Erskine was just 20 when she founded the sustainable, slow-fashion brand Odysseus & Penelope.
But after her brand amassed several celebrity clients and shot to viral fame, she was shocked to discover countless “dupes” of her signature pieces emerge – including on budget Chinese e-tailer Shein.
Ms Erskine claims the ultra-cheap marketplace has recreated the Odysseus & Penelope Island Girl mesh bandeau top, which features her mum’s artwork.
While hers retails for $100, Shein’s strikingly similar version had a $4.90 price tag, and even advertised her brand’s product photos as their own.
“They are shameless,” the now 25-year-old told news.com.au about the ultra-cheap marketplace. “The top had a lot of reviews, so people are obviously buying it”.
Shein said it takes all claims of infringement seriously.
“It is never our intent to infringe on anyone’s valid intellectual property, and it is not our business model to do so” a spokesperson told news.com.au.
Shein said it works with supplier partners, and these vendors are required to certify that their products do not infringe third-party IP.
After news.com.au reached out to Shein, they removed the product listing from their site.
“We continue to invest in and improve our product review process, including investing in image recognition technology developed specifically to identify potential infringement cases and expanding our product review team,” the company added.
Ms Erskine said she understands that it might be tempting for people who don’t have the budget to support small businesses to purchase the “dupes”.
“The quality of our pieces reflects the price,” she notes, “but it’s still competitive for resort wear, and we want to make it as affordable as possible”.
The brand’s tops are priced between $50 and $170 while dresses range from $140 to $235.
For the most part though, it's the sustainable philosophy, clever design details, and unique prints that have contributed to the brand’s success.
But it took a lot of hard work to get to where she is today after initially starting out selling handmade dust masks for festivals.
After Covid hit, her brand was propelled forward, so Ms Erskine taught herself how to create clothes.
“And that’s how I started Odysseus & Penelope,” she recalled.
The early days
After the pivot, she began working with local manufacturers and pattern makers, transforming her small business into a resort wear brand that focused on bold prints, luxurious materials, and effortless designs.
Everything is made locally in Melbourne, except for the brand’s swimwear, which is produced in Indonesia at a family-run small manufacturer.
Ms Erskine, who studied environmental science at university, prioritises sustainability, which she believes sets her brand apart in the saturated fast-fashion industry.
New ‘it girl’ brand influencers love
The brand’s strong values have caught the attention of many popular social media influencers who are beginning to seek out and promote small Aussie businesses.
Jacquie Alexander gave the label significant traction in its early days after wearing two of the dresses during her 30th birthday weekend.
The content creator, who has nearly half a million followers on TikTok, helped sell out certain pieces, and at that time, Ms Erskine was working with small run drops, so she started to scale up.
Another pivotal moment was when Tammy Zukowski, nee Hembrow, bought one of her tops and shared a photo of her wearing it with her 17.2 million followers.
Recently, Abbie Chatfield also posted herself wearing her dresses to her 587k TikTok followers, as did Caitlin Emiko, who said the brand was one of her “favourite” Australian designers.
Slowly but surely, Odysseus & Penelope has become the ‘it girl’ brand that everyone wants to wear.
Unique designs and colourful prints
Ms Erskine’s dresses feature heavyweight bamboo stretch fabric, a ruched tie-up waistband, and an extra layer of compression fabric to support the waistline.
“I wanted them to be wearable for people of all body types,” she notes, explaining that the size range is XS to 2XL, with plans to extend this in the future.
“I want people to wear tight dresses but still feel comfortable and confident. They’re sometimes sampled up to three times, so while they may look simple, there are so many elements and thoughts that go into each dress to ensure it’s flattering.”
“My mum is also behind many of our best-selling prints,” she explains. “She’s an artist, and that’s what makes the prints so special to us.”
‘Happens all the time’
Ms Erskine was further disappointed after discovering that a local Australian brand, That’s So Fetch, which is based in Melbourne, also appeared to have recreated one of her most viral designs.
The best-selling Draped Strapless Bamboo Dress in aquamarine retails for $235, and she claims that That’s So Fetch is selling a near-identical design for $99.
News.com.au has reached out to That’s So Fetch for comment but did not receive a response.
“Unfortunately, it happens all the time, but it’s still sad to see because we put so much work in, and this happens to many other local designers too. I know it’s not just me,” Ms Erskine says.
“I think these big brands are just looking online for what’s trending and the next big thing.”
As the only person in her business, she doesn’t have the resources to pursue legal action.
Moving forward
Despite the setbacks, she hopes that the copycats won’t have a direct impact on her sales.
“I hope my customers choose me because they appreciate sustainable, smaller brands,” she says.
“Even if you’re not purchasing the specific designs that are outright ripoffs of another designer, being aware of and supporting local designers — whether through following, liking, or commenting on their posts — really makes a difference. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy anything.”
Looking ahead, Ms Erskine says she’s not discouraged and plans to focus on expanding her swimwear and resort collections in preparation for European summer.
Even with its challenges, she encourages everyone with the passion to start their own small business.
“Just go for it. I had no experience, and I think sometimes being naive can be a good thing because you might approach things differently from the conventional method,” she reflects.
“I just think that if you love something, give it a go. You never know where it might lead you.”
Originally published as The ‘it girl’ brand influencers are obsessed with
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