Urban Outfitters, Still Stealing Designs From Local Artists

By Averie Timm Thu., May 26 2011 at 5:00 PM

If Urban Outfitters isn't shaking in their boots yet, they should be. Because based on this, and this, they've been caught red-handed stealing from online fashion and jewelry designers. It will have been a year ago tomorrow that Foster Kamer called out the mega-hipster monolith for stealing from Brooklyn's own. Today, Chicago blogger/jewelry designer Stevie Koerner discovered the company had stolen her exact design for a line she called "United States of Love," calling it instead the "I Heart Destination" line. As Koerner herself commented, "Not cool, Urban Outfitters. Not cool."

"Wear your locale love," Urban's website reads in the description box for the I Heart Destination necklaces, continuing to detail Koerner's exact design aesthetic as a "Delicate cable chain necklace topped with a pendant in the shape of your favorite place and a tiny cutout heart. Finished with a lobster clasp and extender."

The blogger posted these two photos on her Tumblr I Make Shiny Things earlier today:

(The first image is from Urban Outfitter's online catalog, while the second is from Koerner's own line on Etsy, just in case -- like us -- you have trouble telling the two apart.)

Multiple sites, including the Daily Beast and Jezebel, have picked up Koerner's story. Koerner is definitely not alone: It seems that this sort of thing has been going on since at least...2001. Both Koerner and Urban Outfitters have been contacted for comment.

Updated: Rich Tong, fashion director at Tumblr, has been in touch with Urban Outfitters' PR team, who have apparently reached out to Koerner and "begun the process of pulling the items from UO.com." We'll continue to update as the story progresses.

[atimm@villagevoice.com]/ @avenyc

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forherbyher2

This is outrageous! It seems Urban Outfitters has continued their "strengths" in cultural theft when they quite literally stole an East African cultural dress and claimed it as their own "90's Vintage Collection':

https://www.change.org/petitions/urban-outfitters-stop-appropriating-traditional-cultural-designs-from-ethiopia-eritrea

Karen Kell

Here is an even more blatant copy that they did of my signature link shoe... here's the story on this link where you can see comparison images...

https://www.facebook.com/pages...

Gt198gtr

I can't wait for the f-ing lawsuit

Jewelry Displays

Designing is not a easy task. its a work of creative mind and i think its not possible for every one.

guest

because states with hearts in them is so original.

Kate Robertson

Anthropology, who is owned by Urban Outfitters definitely STOLE my company's design of an alpaca scarf. I had been warned not to send them my samples, but I couldn't resist...you know, the doors it could have opened for the artisans that I employ in Peru. Needless to say, they had my designs for almost 2 months, despite having asked for them to be returned for six weeks. Worse, the woman I had been communicating with knew my wholesale prices in advance and then offered to pay me 1/4 of what I had told her -- it didn't even cover my costs. A few months later, there was my product, produced by machine in China, smack dab on their website. Have never purchased anything from either store since. Boo. They are the worst. Poor form, poor form. And, I'm not the only one who has had this problem. Kate RobertsonFounder, Mayuwww.shopmayu.com

LOUIE

WAIT HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN MAKING THESE... SEEMS THAT CHRISTOPHER BUCCI'S HEART IN OREGON STICKERS MAY HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL. CAN ANYONE SAY DOUBLE RIP OFF

Willie_dina

I am going to buy a I heart Texas from Koerner's. TODAY!!!

Mary-Jo Peritore

It is one thing to be inspired by a fellow artist and another to copy them outright. I am an artist and a business woman with an entrepreneurial spirit. However, I also have - what's that word - oh yea, INTEGRITY.

I've said it before & I will continue to say it. A true artist will see another's work and be inspired to create something great, building on the original piece making it their own. Outright copying is a sign of two things 1. complete lack of creativity and imagination and 2. pure laziness.

Kristy C.

I shoplifted from Urban Outfitters twice.

a. nony-mouse

"Multiple sites, including the Daily Beast and Jezebel..."

The Daily What =/= The Daily Beast. (Also not to be confused with The Daily. Or The Daily Caller.)

Roberto Alvarado

its really impossible to be truly original. does levi straus sew everyone who makes denim pants? why is she only pointing out that UO is copying her, when there are a hand full of other "original" designs on etsy. she should get sued too?

Lee

Truche sold her first state pendant on Etsy in 2009. Sudlow on Etsy sold a similar pendant in 2008, and James Avery was selling a similar design at least seven months earlier than that. Although I don't love Urban Outfitters, Truche clearly wasn't the first to design a state pendant with a heart in it.

Lydia

Seems like one of those, "they're only sorry because they got caught" situations.

Bean

Before anyone goes getting their undies in a bunch, you might want to read this article:

http://www.regretsy.com/2011/0...

Aimee L. Matheny

uh, yeah. if it were actually her design to steal in the first place. which is... dubious.

http://www.regretsy.com/2011/0...

amTerrie

This is a blatant corporate decision to ignore U.S.A. artisans proprietary property, take the designs and money out of the USA to steal and reproduce, then bring it back to the USA to sell to unaware customers. Disgusting. They need to pay Royalties on every stolen piece sold.