Small business Amaltas Studio accuses Khaadi of plagiarism

A small business by the name of Amaltas Studio took to their Instagram account to accuse Pakistani fashion giant Khaadi of plagiarising their artwork. The page posted photos of the two mirrors side by side to point out the similarities, writing in the caption:

“Appalled to share Khaadi Home’s shameless act of plagiarism our unique mirrors! We were informed by one of our clients that our whimsical mirrors, which we submitted for the Kreate Your Mark project, were imitated instead of appreciated. Shame on them for disregarding originality and betraying the spirit of supporting women entrepreneurs.”

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A post shared by Amaltas Studio | Home Accessories (@amaltasstudio)

In the comments section, a user claimed the designs by Khaadi were inspired, rather than plagiarised, to which Amaltas Studio responded:

“Hi, this is not inspired, this is blatantly plagiarism. These copied our product, technique and aesthetic.

Please note that, we specialise in exclusively making these printed whimsical mirrors, whereas Khaadi is a giant corporation. Inviting small business to apply to their programs to support women entrepreneurs and stealing their ideas is not a good look. Thank you.”

This is not the first time a fashion brand has been accused of plagiarism by a small business. Hussain Rehar was accused of copying designs of small business Kook Studio without giving them credit. Rehar responded in a lengthy statement, explaining the designs for his collection ‘Jugnu’ took inspiration from traditional African embroidery designs.

“Jugnu, a project in the making for over a year, derives its inspirations from traditional African embroidery designs. While there may be similarities in using the same monochrome palette, these elements are commonly found in various art forms across cultures. In an effort to maintain transparency, we are sharing all relevant images and references.”

READ MORE: ‘Did not draw inspiration from anyone’s work’: Hussain Rehar responds to plagiarism accusations

We have reached out to Khaadi for a statement and will update the story with their response.