Kim Kardashian Versus Fast Fashion: One Tense Relationship

After months of speculation that the Kardashian-Jenners partner with fast-fashion retailers like Fashion Nova and Missguided (how else could Fashion Nova have created samples of Kylie’s iconic 21st birthday outfits the same night as her party?), Kim Kardashian has finally fired back.

The reality star stepped out in a risqué, vintage Mugler dress at the Hollywood Beauty Awards in New York City on February 16, only to have Fashion Nova create its own version of the dress less than 24 hours later.

When Instagram account Diet Prada claimed a leaked Fashion Nova shoot from February 14 featured the lookalike gown, with files named “Kim dress,” fans further questioned Kim on her partnership with the brand. She quickly took to Twitter to retaliate and clear the air, stating “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 continued by acknowledging that she could “no longer sit silent” as it’s “affecting designers who have been so generous to give me access to their beautiful works.” She followed up with five more tweets emphasizing that she does not have a partnership with any fast fashion brands, and accusing Fashion Nova of using her to “get people to sign up for their mailing list.”

Later that day, Fashion Nova responded to Kim’s Twitter rant with a 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.”

The fast fashion brand then followed up with the confirmation we’d all been waiting for, stating that “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.”

But Kim did not stop there on her quest to fight fast fashion giants, as, according to TMZ, the next day the reality star filed a lawsuit against UK-based brand Missguided for their use of her image and name in advertisements. Side-by-side photos of Instagram images Kim and Missguided posted were submitted as evidence, along with accusations that the fast fashion brand tags Kim in their posts and photos of her. In proof that she’s serious about fast fashion using her to sell their products, Kim is requesting $10 million in damages and an injunction so that Missguided can no longer use her in their photos.  

However, the real problem of Kim’s war against fast fashion brands is the reality star’s willingness to clap back at Fashion Nova and Missguided – while her and her sisters have ripped off other brands for their own profit countless times. Kim so badly wants her looks to be original, yet she in part launched her career by following Paris Hilton, solidified it through her marriage to musician and designer Kanye West, and is the poster girl for cultural appropriation.

Thankfully, Twitter users made sure to remind her of that, with replies to her Fashion Nova rant ranging from “Queen of cultural appropriation is mad because affordable brands giving us fashion,” to “Really, like your perfume bottle. Jean Paul Gaultier,” and “Let’s not forget when @khloekardashian tried to rip off @dbleudazzled’s designs for her good american brand or whatever it’s called.”

In terms of the legality of fast fashion brands reproducing Kim’s outfits, designers can only protect their work through copyright, which can only be used for patterns or prints, or patents. As it’s highly unlikely that brands will patent their designs, there is no reason fast fashion companies should not be able to make high-fashion trends more affordable to the general public. The Kardashians should know this, as they once created their own affordable clothing range DASH and an early 2010s collaboration with department store Sears. But as usual, the hypocritical, high-status trendsetter knows exactly how to instigate a divisive conversation on social media. We still have a while until we’ll know the results of Kim Kardashian vs. Missguided, but until then, here’s to a hopeful long life of fast fashion brands making celebrity trends affordable.