Perth business owners fed up with original designs being duplicated by ‘sketchy’ online competitors

Perth business owners have shared what it is like to have larger online retailers duplicate their designs and sell them at a lesser price with no consequences.

Local designers told The West Australian it “feels like a punch in the gut” when their pieces— which they spend anywhere up to a year creating — get “stolen” by online fast fashion retailers.

The local slow fashion labels have had their designs “duped” by well-known websites including Peppermayo, Glassons, Lioness, Ali Express and Shein.

Fremantle seamstress Michelle Teles Vecchio, who is behind the popular Deconduarte dresses, said she didn’t know whether to be flattered or angry when she saw her designs were being copied.

“I had many customers send me images of the dress that had been duped,” Ms Teles Vecchio said.

“I was pretty flattered to be honest but then I also felt a sense of anger.

“It was a huge fast fashion company and people were commenting on it saying the style and design was genius however it was stolen from us.”

Ms Tele’s no longer one-of-a-kind Ortiga dress, retails for $500, yet online competitors are charging just a fraction of that price for what looks almost like an exact replica.

“It definitely has negative effects . . . people in this cost-of-living crisis can’t afford to pay $500 for a dress, so they will always choose the cheaper option,” she said.

Signed + Sealed founders Georgia Shehade and Hannah Jones also felt “flattered” by having their products duplicated but said it is “damaging” to their newly-launched clothing and swimwear brand.

“When you see a unique, well-made piece from a local Australian business, there’s often a knock-off not far behind,” the pair said.

“Dupe culture being so accepted is really damaging for small brands.

“At first we were really disappointed. It was one of our most popular and distinctive designs . . . so it was frustrating to see a cheaper, lower-quality version being made, widely available.

“However, we are always able to laugh about it and know that imitation is the highest form of flattery.”

The mum and daughter duo behind Perth’s viral Knitwit The Label have even had their marketing materials used by competitors.

“It’s such a weird feeling seeing videos that I’ve taken, often actually of me wearing our pieces on social media without my consent at all,” Nina Wallace, 20, said.

“At first, seeing the pieces my mum and I work so hard on being duped felt like a punch in the gut. Now, I see an ad using one of my photos multiple times a day, it still stings,

“I have found it really difficult to get support from Instagram and TikTok in regards to getting these ads and pages taken down. These companies will also delete any comments trying to call them out or alert others that these aren’t the original piece.

“Having our clothing duped directly impacts our sales as uninformed consumers will often get drawn into buying the cheapest version that they can find.

“Although I understand we’re in a cost-of-living crisis, I find it really hard to justify stealing designs and selling dupes at the cost of small businesses.”

Mon Ete Swim founder Paris Lindsay has noticed it is no longer exclusively fast fashion companies who are stealing her designs.

“We’ve seen fast fashion labels . . . attempt to replicate our bikinis, but what’s been even more disheartening is seeing other small businesses — especially local ones in Perth and across Australia — try to do the same,” Ms Lindsay said.

The Western Australian Small Business Commissioner Saj Abdoolakhan said reports of Australian small businesses having their unique designs copied and mass-produced by online retailers is “concerning”.

“Small-business owners invest significant time and resources into developing original products,” he said. “When these are replicated and sold by online retailers, often at a significantly lower price, it undermines not only the individual business but also broader innovation and entrepreneurship in Australia.

“Designers can protect their fashion design intellectual property by applying for a design right . . . a registered and certified design right protects the overall visual appearance of a new and distinctive product including fashion designs.

“A design right gives the designer the exclusive right to use their design within Australia only, however it is possible to apply for the same design right overseas.”

However, the small business owners said applying for a design right is “pointless”.

“Not even large corporations waste their time with this,” Ms Teles Vecchio said. “This is costly and pointless in my opinion.”

Ms Lindsay agreed: “Trademarking is incredibly expensive for a small business, and even then, it doesn’t offer much protection unless you’re willing to fight it legally.

“Most brands that copy will change a small detail . . . which is enough to get around any legal issues.”

Some of the business owners have attempted to use social media to call out the brands duplicating their designs but have been hit with cease and desist notices.

The West Australian reached out to Peppermayo and Lioness for comment but did not hear back from either of them.