Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If some designer chooses to
make an item that is simlar to something you have designed in
the past -- or even if it is an exact replica -- why not take it as a compliment?
In the real fashion world, famous designs (usually hand-made and very expensive)
are reproduced by large corporations with less expensive
materials and then sold to the general public in a more affordable venue. These
are called knock-offs.
Bad designs are not copied and resold to the masses. (Well, sometimes they
are, but they sell only because of some buyers' lack of judgement.)
Fashion history is just a very long story about how old ideas are recycled
into new ones. In the 1960s, kids were wearing almost the same style of clothes
as they are now. Peasant dresses come from a pattern created, like, over a THOUSAND
years ago. A T-shirt is a T-shirt, and I am SURE that over time it has been
cut, shaped, ruffled, striped, edged, fringed, twisted, torn and stretched in
a multitude of ways to give it a different STYLE... but it is still a T-shirt.
I have been making parts on Whyville for a long time. Some are good, some are
great and some are downright atrocious. The great ones spur other designers'
imaginations, and occasionally there are designs that are extremely similar
to my originals. That's great! Then maybe that part gives another designer a
different idea, and they make a new item... which gives me an idea, and I make
another part... and so on.
Instead of fighting over who makes what, and who owns what idea, how about
we all just create what we want -- within the limits of what is allowed -- and
support each other by bringing ALL of our ideas to the fashion stage.
Off to the Factory,
wench
improvise and overcome
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