Copycats, Beware. This Indian Instagrammer Will Name And Shame You

Wherever originality exists, you can be sure plagiarism won't be far behind. Music has seen this through the centuries, so has the written word, technology and fashion. But the rise of social media hasn't let that lie. Spotting these copycats and calling them out on digital platforms is fast becoming the norm, and we sure are glad about that. Just months ago, an Indian textile designer used social media to flag a Dior print, allegedly copied from his own creation. And gatekeepers are now popping up on Instagram with the intent of policing knockoffs.

The west already has @diet_prada, a fashion account that spots rip-off designs and puts them up with side-by-side comparisons and zingers for captions. Along with that, there's also plenty of clever commentary on magazine covers and runway looks as well as thoughts on celebrity style. In fact, the anonymous Diet Prada has grown so big, it has over 300,000 followers and Instagram's blue tick of verification. Leading fashion personnel like Manish Arora, Bandana Tewari and Chiara Ferragni are all followers of Diet Prada and the account even has its own brand of merchandise.

 

Seems like it's a rite of passage for every outdated/irrelevant contemporary womenswear brand to become @celine . Formerly boho ethnic tribal print brand @marahoffman is the latest culprit in a near stitch for stitch replica of a Céline Resort 2016 look #celine #phoebephilo #marahoffman #minimalism #howtobeparisian #paris #parisfashionweek #copycat #knockoff #dietprada #wtf #replica #tributebrand

A post shared by Diet Prada (@diet_prada) on Oct 21, 2017 at 2:07pm PDT

So it was about time the Indian fashion industry got its own police. That day came recently when an account called @dietsabya emerged on Instagram. The anonymous profile term themselves as 'Diet Prada's fierce desi sister' and ever since it's inception just weeks ago, there's been no looking back. Although we're accustomed to high street giants 'being inspired' by runway patterns and designers, this fashion authority isn't going to let it slide in the Indian context. Whether they are celebrity favoured designers or labels worn by the country's top influencers, Diet Sabya isn't afraid to call them out.

Case-in-point: The time the account put Shoes By Guwalani at the side of Gucci's favourite fur slippers to see the shocking similarities.

 

Why shlep to Thailand, when you can get it in Agra? (Left: @gucci right: @shoesbyguwalani) . . #gandi #copy #ripoff #dietsabya #GuccimadeinAgra

A post shared by DietSabya (@dietsabya) on Apr 2, 2018 at 9:46am PDT

Or when Malaika Arora was caught in a Deme by Gabriella outfit that looked too much like a Monse Maison creation.

 

Nope @demebygabriella absolutely did NOT copy this design from @monsemaison. #madeinPaliHill . Wonder how @malaikaarorakhanofficial feels while wearing rip-offs out in public? . . #gandi #copy # #dietsabya

A post shared by DietSabya (@dietsabya) on Apr 3, 2018 at 6:24am PDT

Then there was the time Kriti Sanon and Manushi Chhillar wore copies of Self Portrait's popular cutwork number.

 

@sukritigrover of @style.cell loves dressing her A-list celebrity clientele in copies. Because why not right? Because how can a stylist know... right? @kritisanon - need a new stylist? . . . Head over to @fancypantsthestore to find cheap and cheerful copies of all your favourite international brands. Don't forget to send us a photo when you wear it :) #madeinVileParle #proudofyou . . #gandi #copy # #lol #dietsabya

A post shared by DietSabya (@dietsabya) on Mar 28, 2018 at 10:17pm PDT

In just a matter of days, Diet Sabya's follower count has passed 5,000 and we're sure it will hit 5 figures soon enough. Indian fashion biggies like James Ferreira and Kalyani Saha Chawla have even appreciated the work the account is doing. Originality doesn't come easy and so, it is positively refreshing to see it being protected and rip-offs being called out. All we can say is, we really wouldn't want to be a copycat right now.