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MANILA, Philippines – A Filipina artist called out a fashion brand from the United Kingdom for allegedly using artwork she created and passing it off as their own handpainted designs.
Feanne Mauricio, an artist who specializes in illustration and fabric design, said that her original drawings were printed without license on dresses and skirts sold by UK fashion brand Rixo.
The drawings, sold as “Star Moon Cloud Sky Drawings,” on Creative Market, was first published on the stock art platform on October 30, 2014.
In November 2016, Rixo announced on Facebook that they were releasing their “new online exclusive print” called “Moonlit Sky,” which bears similarities to Feanne’s work.
Photos of the print on various Rixo dresses, tops, and skirts were posted on the brand’s social media pages, often with captions or hashtags saying that the print had been handpainted or handsketched.
“Hours of hand painting and sketching this print have paid off,” read one caption on a post that has since been deleted.
At least one dress in the “Moonlit Sky” print is still available on Rixo’s website as of posting.
Feanne also alleged that the brand’s “Cream Oriental Sky” and “Green Oriental Sky” prints use elements from her artwork.
In a statement, Feanne shared that someone called her attention to the prints in December 2018.
“Rixo did not contact me for a collaboration or commission. I have no records of licensing obtained by them. My lawyer wrote to them on December 23 [2018] to ask if they have a license for my work,” she said.
Rixo’s lawyers responded with a latter dated January 11, 2019, insisting that the brand’s founders Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey, created the prints by hand in January 2016.
“Our client independently designed and created the Moonlit Sky, Cream Oriental Sky and Green Oriental Sky prints (“RIXO Prints”) in January 2016,” the letter read.
“They were designed and sketched by hand by Henrietta and Orlagh. In any event (but irrelevant in the circumstances), the RIXO Prints are not substantially similar to the Star, Moon, Cloud, Sky Drawings,” they said.
In her statement, Feanne said she finds it hard to believe the work was created by Rixo’s founders independently “as even the asymmetry and irregularities in the lines are identical.”
She also highlighted the similarities of their work in side-by-side comparisons sent to Rixo’s legal team in another letter dated March 29.
“I am publicly asserting my rights as the original artist…I demand that Rixo give me a public apology, attribution, and financial compensation for their unauthorized commercial use of my work as well as for the legal fees I am incurring in pursuing this matter,” Feanne said in her statement.
Rixo has yet to respond to Rappler’s requests for comment. – Rappler.com
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