As a designer or a creative in the fashion industry, how many times have you heard this question:
“I really like that design. can you make it?”
Most times it might seem right to just please the customer, as the saying goes the customer is always right. Well maybe not ‘always’, if you are trying to build a reputable fashion brand, then copying should not be the main affair of your business.
So what can you do?
First of all, let’s understand why. Why is your client asking you to copy something they’ve seen?
See this as an opportunity to make what you do better. If a prospective client can’t see your creative process and your ability to generate a great creative ideas then either they haven’t bothered to look, or you haven’t shown them. So now is the time to show your creativity.
Kindly help your client understand that while you cannot explicitly copy certain elements of the design itself such as actual patterns, you would be happy to identify the elements of design that you can use to get effect which would be even better than the original design given.
If your client insists, explain to your client that you may encounter legal issues associated with copying protected designs (in the case where the design is protected)
Sum up all the points you have made about the design. Identify your client’s likes and dislikes in relations to the design, create a design sketch or illustration taking into consideration all that your client wants and present the illustration to your client. More than likely, they will love the new design because they now have something just as appealing and beautiful but that belongs completely to them.
What would you do?
At the end of the day, this is all my opinion based on my business and legal knowledge in fashion. I am curious to learn what you would do (or have done) in this sort of situation.