Being a young adult woman who attends his former college, it comes as a surprise to most that I posses a deep-seeded hatred for Michael Kors. I'm serious. In terms of my severe disdain for the man, he's on roughly the same level as spiders or getting cheated on.
If you're a human being with a pulse who regularly leaves the house, you've more than likely experienced at least one instance of girls toting around those Michael Kors "MK" bags, or maybe even a plain leather good. While the tackiness of the loud prints has a tendency to be personally offensive, my primary issue with this designer stems from his unrelenting copying of other, higher end fashion houses. To be fair, knockoffs are present in every branch of the fashion industry, but that being said, Michael Kors takes this unoriginality to new levels. Below are a few of Michael's "original designs" from his Michael by Michael Kors line.
***It is important to note that Michael by Michael Kors is the designer's lower end line, offered to consumers at a moderate price point. These bags are not included in his runway collection, which caters to a high end market and encompasses more authentic, fashion-forward pieces
These almost identical aesthetics prompt the question, "How far is too far," when designers draw inspiration from one another in the fashion industry. While it is understandable that classic styles and silhouettes are reinterpreted and integrated into various collections over the years, Michael Kors seems to cross the line into blatant copyright infringement.
Italian designer Roberto Cavalli commented on the issue calling Kors a "copycat," and claiming that Kors' designs are not true American fashion, but rather international fashion made in America.
In my opinion, even though the Michael by Michael Kors line is a more commercialized, lower priced collection, there is no justification for the lack of creativity that goes into producing it. Kors is simply embezzling luxury brand ideas, and profiting off of the creativity of others, who manufacture premium quality goods. Kors does not head a "fast fashion" company, so these actions are inexcusable.
As a person, Michael Kors appears to be a very charitable and amiable member of the fashion community, so it would be highly refreshing to see him shed this style of knocking off others, and make a true name for himself in commercialized American fashion.
