Calvin Klein accused of stealing Australian photographer Jack Thomson’s work

“IT FEELS crappy to have hard work and passion taken away from you and shamelessly credited to someone else.”

Calvin Klein ‘stole my work’: photographer

A MELBOURNE photographer has accused Calvin Klein of ripping off his work in its latest ad campaign.

Shepparton-born Jack Thomson has sought legal advice over an image of musician FKA Twigs, which bears an uncanny ressemblence to a photograph he styled and shot last year.

Shot from above, the original image shows a naked young woman laying on a backdrop of blue jeans, in a pose that references a scene in the film American Beauty.

The Calvin Klein Jeans advert shows Twigs lying in a similar pose, with her head turned to the side in a mirror of the original.

Thomson wrote on his Facebook page that he first had the idea for the image two years ago, and considered it a pivotal work in his photographic career.

He said it had been shared extensively on social media when he first posted it to his page, theorising that this may be how it ended up on an advertising agency mood board.

“The image has done the rounds well and truly and gathered its own fan base,” Thomson wrote.

“I have been okay with that because its people sharing an image of what they love and not doing any damage. But when a big brand or big name professional or even big boy agency takes your idea and hard work that is something different completely.”

Thomson said he had spoken to a number of intellectual property lawyers, who advised that he had a case. But he could not afford the legal fees.

“I’m not pointing blame here because it’s hard to know what happened, who knows if this was in a mood board from an agency, or in the notepad of a Calvin Klein creative or in the photographers inspo folder,” he wrote.

“Either way, though, it feels crappy to have hard work and passion taken away from you and shamelessly credited to someone else ... As a creative, we are naturally sensitive creatures and, no matter how thick your skin may be on the outside, seeing your passion and hard work not only credited to someone else — but also be loved by millions, and no one ever knowing of your efforts — makes you second guess yourself.”

News.com.au has reached out to Calvin Klein’s public relations team for comments.

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