Has something like this ever happened to you? Some scammy website is selling my very own hand-knit skirt!
This older blog post of mine about hand-knitted skirts tends to get a lot of traffic, mostly via Pinterest. I have a picture on there of this skirt, among others, that I made back in 2012:
Late last year I got an email from a reader who said she saw this very same skirt posted for sale on a clothing website. She said her instincts told her the site was maybe a scam so she googled the pic and found my blog, and she kindly got in touch to alert me.
Here’s my skirt, on sale for the low, low price of 18 pounds!
But wait, there’s more! It also comes in several photoshopped colours!
If I had known I could have this skirt for just 18 pounds (or about $32 Canadian), I could have saved myself the 50 hours or more I spent hand knitting that fiddly herringbone stitch and the lace trim, and picking out unique buttons! And I could have saved myself the $90 or so I spent on materials!
Last time I checked, this website had disappeared, probably along with the money of many a poor sap who didn’t think twice about whether a unique wool skirt (or any other item of clothing on the site) should cost more than 30 bucks. Let’s call them victims of not only an online scam, but also of Fast Fashion in general, because Fast Fashion has taught us that you probably CAN get a unique hand-knit woolen skirt somewhere for 30 bucks (even if somebody, somewhere, paid a price). Sigh.
But wait! There’s more!
I just came across a brand NEW website — still live at the time I’m writing this — apparently rebranded from “ShineforU” to “Sammero”, also selling my one-of-a-kind skirt! Not only is it on sale for just $23.36 US, if you act now, you can also get a 20% discount off all orders! (I sincerely hope that lovely model is getting royalties for all the various places this photo is being shown!)
I’m actually quite tempted to order one just to see what might come my way in the mail. Apparently sometimes these companies actually do send you a very cheaply made knock-off of whatever is in the photo, if this video from a seamstress who ordered a copy of her own hand-sewn 15th century reconstruction gown from a scam website is anything to go by: https://youtu.be/J80J4oaGVnY
I remember a few years ago a fabric retailer was using people’s Instagram photos of garments they had made with fabric from the store without the creator’s permission in their promotional materials. It was surprising how long that company dug in their heels, despite a big outcry from the sewing community, thinking it was perfectly OK to use other people’s photos without permission to sell their products.
Have you ever had photos of your hand-made garments stolen and used illegally or without your permission? Or has anyone ever tried to sell a knock-off of one of your own makes? I’d love to hear your story.
Thanks for stopping by.
— Lori
Frivolous At Last 
Hi Lori,
Pearl Red Moon has written about this at length on her website/blog http://www.pearlredmoon.com/ – she has a number of hand-made, art-to-wear garments that have had photos stolen and used on scam websites. From reading her blog, it looks as though this is difficult to fight. Very dispiriting.
LikeLike
Gnashing of teeth. Much! Check out Pearl Red Moon Art’s blog and her ongoing saga of the rip-offs she’s experienced with similar selling portals. No one is protecting the artists. It’s a very sad state of affairs when brilliant artists can’t make a living from their wonderful unique work because others think the ideas are all free. And because they have the capacity to capitalize easily, they do. The artists receive not one penny in royalties and barely eke out a living doing what they must do.
Your fashion vision and execution is delightful.
LikeLike
This is terrible! The skirt is beautiful so sadly they have made a lot of money. Blood boiling 😠
LikeLike
Thankfully, nothing that I have ever made has been worthy of copy. Imitation is not always a form of flattery. And what’s to do? If fashion houses with the big bucks cannot stop illegal nasty copies of their designs, everyone’s work is a target.
I blame fast fashion. As a GLOBE, we need to get back to the reverence of earlier ages and start appreciating our textiles and garments again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I had an issue with someone using my picture for promotional materials without my permission. The person would contact independent pattern designers (mostly children’s clothes) to put together a discount bundle. The money would go to support some cause. One pattern designer chose my picture to represent their pattern. Which was silly in and off itself because I’d mashed up two patterns to make that dress and the designer should have noticed the shoulders of my dress were way different from her design.
Anyway, I contacted the person responsible telling them I hadn’t given my approval for the use of the picture and that I did not want my work used without credit. I told them I would be okay with a link back to my site or even just the name of my site but they wouldn’t do it. And tried to guilt trip me into letting them use my picture because “it’s for charity”. I did eventually get them to remove my picture from their promotional materials but it didn’t disappear everywhere. I would have had to go after each and every person who blogged about the bundle to have them remove it and I ran out of energy. That’s when I started watermarking my pictures…
LikeLike
Your skirt is beautiful and there is no way some knockoff is even going to come close.
LikeLike
Wow! What a story! This has not happened to me, not that I know of. 🙂 But oh my goodness this skirt is gorgeous! I absolutely love it! and would have been tempted to purchase it. 😉
LikeLike
Even though it was horribly ripped off. The skirt is STILL adorable.
LikeLike