Indie London Fashion Designer Ripped off by Gucci

London based designer Diane Goldie creates bespoke 'wearable art' inspired by female empowerment and individuality. Her work, now three years in the making, consists of unique handmade or upcycled clothing and accessories in bright colours and textures; fusing a melting pot of cultures and personalities together,, creating what she thinks creativity in London is all about. I urge you to check out some of her work at http://dianegoldieartist.com, along with her intelligent and insightful writing at http://dianegoldie.wordpress.com/

Anyway, I divulge from what this post is really about. Gucci, one of the most successful high-end Italian fashion labels in history, has recently revamped their aesthetic, to a patchwork quilt of quirkiness and colour, inspired by London style tribes (see here).

And Diane realised she'd been ripped off.

Copywright law is a tricky one, especially for the arts. Most people wonder, where does creative inspiration end and plain old copying begin? Diane isn't flattered. She is enraged. But that rage has only empowered her, not to sue the thieving fashion giants, but to protest and raise awareness of exploitation in the fashion industry and the cogs in the capitalist wheel of endless consumption. In her latest blog post she says that:

"Because of course , besides there being virtually no protection of copyright in fashion, as a small fry, I’d have no hope in hell of suing the big boys...

We may be small fry, but there are LOTS of us. Lots of us , all singing together will make a BIG noise...This is about the tribe coming together and saying HELL NO, WE MATTER... So thank you Gucci. You’ve woken up the latent beast in me and vanquished the dragon Apathy. I’m ready. Are you?"

Diane is organising an exhibition during this year's London Fashion Week, one to collaborate art, craft, fashion, politics, feminism and basically saying fuckfashion!

She says:

"After having my aesthetic stolen by high fashion status brand Gucci , as a small fry in this big , corrupt system, I cannot fight the usual way. Court is not an option. What I do have is my integrity, my supporters, and my creativity and rage. I intend to fuse this all into a protest art exhibition of large portraits of my friends wearing my artwork as a way of reclaiming my aesthetic."

There is a crowdfunding page to help Diane raise the funds needed to make this dream come true, so if you are feeling as angry as I am about independent artists being exploited, you can donate here!

One thing Diane told me that really hit home was that fashion requires women to be insecure in order to survive. We must have a problem, so that the industry can sell us a solution.

Unfortunately this is true of all aesthetics-based businesses, particularly beauty and fitness. As much as I adore the world of fashion, to be blind to it's problematic nature would be against my morals.

I hope this article helps to raise awareness not only of Diane's pursuit, but also of the need for strong, outspoken minds to call out the big players.

Got anything to add? I want your opinions and stories! Let's start a movement!