Forever 21: knocking it off?
Filed under: Stores We Love, Style in the News
Everyone knows that Forever 21 is in the business of selling cheap runway knock offs, sometimes teetering on the edge of design piracy. The company's philosophy and background approaches fashion from a cut and dry business standpoint, building one of the most profitable retail chains in the country with little or no major fashion clout to speak of. In fact, the company is run by an evangelical Christian couple, who immigrated to the US in 1981 from South Korea. They noticed the success of the fashion industry professionals in the area where they worked and decided: hey why can't we do that? Their rags to riches story has become the stuff of legends -- and nasty, bitter rumors.
Up to now, their business model has centered around frugality, shrewdness, and no-name, hack designers -- building an empire on 'copycat' fashion. However, after a rash of run-ins with top designers and piracy legislation being introduced in congress, the successful newcomers might have to reinvent their business.
Let's face it, most of us are down with buying a Target knock off if it means saving a few bucks. Is that wrong? A piece of legislation called the Design Piracy Prohibition Act is being pushed by a few high end fashion peeps who want to stomp out the blossoming industry of legal 'knock-offery.' One of these fashion elites, Diane Von Furstenberg, just happens to be one of the people who has settled with Forever 21 over design infringements -- now she's going after Target.
