Behind the Controversy of Khy – Kylie Jenner’s Brand

Khy – the brand founded by Kylie Jenner has garnered significant attention lately, but it has also faced a series of accusations of plagiarism.

Summary of Content: Overview of the fashion brand Khy Is Jenner Really ‘Stealing Ideas’ from Johansen? Is This the First Time Kylie Jenner Has Been Accused of Design Theft? What Will Happen in the Future? This isn’t the first time that Khy – the brand founded by Kylie Jenner has been accused of copying by another designer. On February 28, Australian designer Jessica Johansen-Bell spoke out, alleging that the latest product from the Khy fashion brand closely resembled her poppy dress in a strange way. Some may argue that this is just a random coincidence, but Johansen-Bell had launched this product three years ago.

In a TikTok video, the brand’s founder, Johansen, asked her followers: “Am I overthinking this or did Kylie Jenner just copy my collection?”. She then went on to compare her collection to Khy’s latest, both featuring body-hugging dresses in neutral colors, with the distinctive twisted straps on the shoulders. Ironically, the Australian designer had previously gifted that dress to the founder of Khy.

Jessica stated that she contacted Khy, and they responded that the designs were developed through the company’s “hard work and innovative creativity.” However, nothing was mentioned about ‘innovative creativity’. Jenner has yet to comment on this, and this isn’t the first time Jenner, or members of the Kardashian family, have been criticized for copying other artists.

Overview of the Fashion Brand Khy ICYMI, Khy is a newly launched fashion brand by Kylie Jenner in October last year. This fashion house offers consumers high-end fashion styles at affordable prices, aiming to “redefine modern wardrobes” by blending luxury with everyday styles. To date, the brand has launched 4 collections, including two collaborations with designers Namilia and Complete Studios. In late February, Khy released its latest collection, Drop 004, titled ‘Day to Night: Dress + Sets’.

Is Jenner Really ‘Stealing Ideas’ from Johansen? After Johansen-Bell shared about the resemblance between Khy’s design and her collection from three years ago, many customers, friends, and fans sent countless messages about the similarity between the poppy dress and Khy’s latest product. They thought the two were similar and assumed the designer had collaborated with Khy. Social media users agreed with this viewpoint in the comments on her TikTok video. Some commented: “I thought it was Johansen’s when I first saw it.”

Whether Jenner’s brand is actually blatantly copying or simply exercising creative freedom in an age where originality of a design is hard to guarantee remains to be seen.

The line between inspiration and plagiarism is always blurry. There is a reasonable explanation for this. Fashion is cyclical, meaning designs from the past can come back in a newer version. Furthermore, copyright law is very complex, and many independent creators or designers overlook it due to insufficient financial resources.

As many online commentators have noted, the twisted strap feature on the dress isn’t entirely a new idea in fashion, as other brands like Zara have also introduced similar-styled dresses and tops in recent years. However, the fact that Johansen had previously gifted Jenner a signature piece, and now, when this star produces a clothing line that looks remarkably similar at a lower price, raises suspicions about the design inspiration of Kylie Jenner.

Is This the First Time Kylie Jenner Has Been Accused of Design Theft? Since the launch of Khy in October 2023, this brand has faced many controversies. Drop 001, a collaboration with Namilia, included 13 items such as dresses and faux leather jackets. Shortly after its release, creative director Betsy Johnson accused this collection of being a copy of her new line. In a series of Instagram Stories, Johnson shared that her company had sent Kylie design ideas six months earlier, but they seemed to have been rejected. Yet, they took this idea and ‘incorporated’ it into Drop 001.

And Kylie Jenner isn’t the first member of her Kardashian family to be accused of copying both large and small designers in the fashion industry. In June 2017, Khloe Kardashian was accused by lingerie and bodysuit designer Destiney Bleu of stealing designs for Kardashian’s Good American label. Initially, Kardashian’s brand denied the accusations, saying they had never heard of Bleu, but Bleu released evidence from receipts, emails between the two parties, and even requests to borrow some items from Kardashian’s former stylist, Monica Rose.

At the same time, Kylie Jenner once again caused a stir for being accused of stealing print patterns for her line, The Kylie Shop. In 2018, Kim Kardashian also stirred controversy when she launched her KKW Body fragrance in a bottle shape resembling Jean-Paul Gaultier’s signature fragrance bottle.

What Will Happen in the Future?

The survival of the brand depends entirely on the decisions of consumers. In fact, the reason why the Kardashians-Jenners can still operate despite many ‘scandals’ is because the brand’s fans and even the star are willing to pay for these products, even when the product is accused of being copied. It’s the obsession with celebrities, and people always want to have whatever they own or it could also be the side effect of overconsumption.

Perhaps counterfeit fashion will truly disappear when people are only willing to pay for the “original”, even if they are expensive rather than opting for a cheap copy? But this may not be the case, the boycott of counterfeit products from customers?