Update: Late Tuesday, Fashion Nova responded to Kim Kardashian's rant with the following statement to TMZ:
"Fashion Nova is an ultra-fast fashion brand that is capable of executing design within hours and believes in fairness in pricing. We strive to offer our customers affordable leading trends. We respect the fashion community and work with a variety of vendors, designers, influencers and celebrities to keep our style offering fresh and relevant.
Kim Kardashian-West is one of the top fashion icons in the world that our customers draw inspiration from. However, we have not worked with Kim Kardashian-West directly on any of her projects but have been driven by her influential style."
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Last February, Fashion Nova's CEO Richard Saghian told WWD, the retailer could have samples in just 24 hours after the product's conception. Once ready, the items are shot on any of the models on-call in its office, and the finished product goes up on the site in one to two weeks. Hm.
Could this all just be one well-timed coincidence?
This story was originally published February 19, 2019.
We imagine Kim Kardashian's iPhone must have lit up with a text from Kris Jenner to remind her that it's been a while since her name made significant headlines. So, naturally, she took take a cue from... Cardi B.
After the rapper spent her victorious Grammys 2019 night decked out in vintage Thierry Mugler, Kardashian opted to attend this past Saturday's Hollywood Beauty Awards in New York City in another Mugler dress — one that defied gravity. It didn't take long until Fashion Nova created its own version, fuelling rumours the reality star, like Cardi, was working with the fast fashion brand. If you recall, Fashion Nova also dropped their own version of Kylie Jenner's birthday outfits just hours after she posted them on Instagram.
Fashion watchdog account Diet Prada then pointed out that Fashion Nova, as seen in a leaked photo shoot, labeled a lookalike gown as "Kim dress" hours before Kardashian's post. But the files were quickly renamed "Winning Beauty Cut Out Gown." The question was, then, did Kardashian work with Fashion Nova on a timely, calculated drop?
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She took to social media on Tuesday to say no. "It's devastating to see these fashion companies rip off designs that have taken the blood, sweat, and tears of true designers who have put their all into their own original ideas," she tweeted. "I've watched these companies profit off of my husband's work for years and now that it's affecting designers who have been so generous to give me access to their beautiful works, I can no longer sit silent," she continued.
North West's mother continued to vent, writing: "Only two days ago, I was privileged enough to wear a one-of-a-kind vintage Mugler dress, and in less than 24 hours it was knocked off and thrown up on a site — but it's not for sale. You have to sign up for a waitlist because the dress hasn’t even been made to sell yet."
She accused Fashion Nova of exploiting the opportunity to "get people to sign up for their mailing list and make people believe there is some kind of relationship between me and this fashion site," but clarified she is not working with the brand. "My relationships with designers are very important to me," she said. "It's taken me over a decade to build them and I have a huge amount of respect for the amount of work that they put into bringing their ideas to life."
She continued: "I often plan for weeks, sometimes months, and even a year in advance, and I’m grateful for every fashion moment those designers and their dresses have helped me create." Finally, she implored her followers to ignore the rumours. "So, as always, don’t believe everything you read and see online. I don’t have any relationships with these sites. I’m not leaking my looks to anyone, and I don’t support what these companies are doing."
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It didn't take long for observers on Twitter to clap back at the divisive E! star with rebuttals of their own.
You mean like @KylieJenner did countless times with smaller black owned businesses???
— belladonna (@la_bellamarie) February 19, 2019
Let’s not forget when @khloekardashian tried to rip off @dbleudazzled’s designs for her good american brand or whatever it’s called
— d.va ♥ (@yhlera) February 19, 2019
Queen of culture appropriation is mad because affordable brands giving us fashion.
— Alee™ (@Aleegrc0811) February 19, 2019
Really, like your perfume bottle. Jean Paul Gaultier.
— Lori Brog (@LoriBrog) February 19, 2019
This is how it feels to be a black woman. This is how it feels to have your body type worn and appreciated only on women like you. This is how it feels when your sister puts on and wears features of a black woman for profit. Welcome to the real world.
— Paige (@paigeai) February 19, 2019
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