Urban Outfitters’ Tru.che Necklace Knockoff
Photo: Etsy.com | Polyvore.com
State of confusion: tru.che necklace (left) and Urban Outfitters' almost identical version (right).
'Tis the season for copycat jewelry designs, it seems.
Just days after Iris Apfel dropped a toucan brooch from her HSN line over claims that it was a Hanna Bernhard knockoff, an indie jewelry designer is accusing Urban Outfitters of ripping off her work, Styleite reports.
Stevie Koerner of tru.che claims the retailer's new I Heart Destination necklaces are too similar to the World/United States of Love line she's been selling on Etsy since 2005. Both lines feature silver pendants in the outline of the 50 states with a heart-shaped cutout.
"My heart sank a little bit," Koerner writes in a Tumblr post. "The World/United States of Love line that I created is one of the reasons that I was able to quit my full-time job. They even stole the item name as well as some of my copy.
"I’m very disappointed in Urban Outfitters. I know they have stolen designs from plenty of other artists. I understand that they are a business, but it’s not cool to completely rip off an independent designer’s work. I’ll no longer be shopping at any of their stores [they also own Free People & Anthropologie], and I’m going to do my best from here on out to support independent designers & artists."
Yikes. Sounds like something's definitely rotten in the state of ... well, take your pick.
Meanwhile, Urban Outfitters has responded to the uproar by tweeting, "Hey guys, we see your tweets regarding the I Heart Destination necklace. Please know that our accessories buying team is looking into this."
The necklaces no longer appear on the store's site. Score one for the little guy?
