2/05/2012

Fashion Inspiration?



Carmen Dell Orefice in 1954 Revlon ad

Monogram Allure
I think it's a great copy. I wonder how they get away with it. Apparently iconic images are not copyrighted. What about fashions?

I ordered this Monogram doll because of the outfit and it doesn't bother me that it was copied. I just can't believe that there is no copyright protection. I remember that a few years ago Jason Wu got involved in some kind of movement to protect designers' work. The copying of designs for dolls was brought up on the boards shortly after that. I think that movement sort of fizzled.


14 comments:

  1. First off, I really enjoy your blog and photos even though I don't collection fashion dolls (at the moment... maybe someday... when I'm not a starving grad student).

    Secondly, fashion is not and has never been protected by US copyright law. Johanna Blakely has a great talk about it on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL2FOrx41N0 ). The situation of fashion is a very unique one in the world of US copyright.

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    Replies
    1. This was a very, very interesting and informative video. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention. I hope my readers check it out.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL2FOrx41N0

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  2. I've forgotten who this quote is from but "good artists borrow....great artists steal.
    One of the figures in Raphael's "school of athens" is taken directly from Michelangelo's sistene chapel.
    So....I guess "shoplifting" a lipstick ad has a historical precedent.
    Will C

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  3. From a legal standpoint, clothing is a utilitarian object that cannot be copyrighted. So the ad has a copyright, but not the dress. I wish IT had also done the feathered fan!

    Allure and Adoration are lovely. Too bad I put a buying ban on 12" dolls.

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    Replies
    1. The fan shouldn't be too difficult to duplicate. I have an idea already!

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  4. I commented on another doll blog how clever the 12" interpretation of this style. I also said that it's hard to believe the original picture is almost 50 years old because to me the styling looks incredibly modern.

    Both the ad AND the doll are rather eye catching, I think.

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    Replies
    1. Carmen had a real womanly body with arms and hips and breasts. She is timeless. I wish we could go back to the time when women who ate three normal meals a day and had a little meat on their bones were the norm - not the starved, anorexic-looking, sunken-chested sticks that model on the runways nowadays.

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  5. I loved this use of the Monograms. Beautiful doll. :)

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  6. I thought the Monograms were supposed to be the real live Jason's handy-work and inspirations, and mini-versions of his clothing (or so we were told). Now.. the Monos steal from others and claim to be inspired. I get doll companies copying, or "being inspired", but when doll companies have design teams, aren't they ultimately supposed to be designing? This is just some of the stuff I think about... :)
    Love the Blog posts, Ms. G.

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  7. can i just add that the red coat this doll is wearing is
    from alexander mcqueen 2008 fall collection...i like the mix
    of and 1954 vintage dress with a more modern coat...

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    Replies
    1. That was noted by a reader previously who donated this link:

      http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/ensemble-girl-who-lived-in-tree/

      Perhaps it was you, Anonymous?

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    2. Wait, I thought the whole look is inspired by Dorian Leigh's Fire and Ice ad for Revlon?

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  8. I think that it's really funny that this outfit is from a Revlon ad, considering Tonner has the rights to "Revlon". I think it would be wonderful if the 13 inch Tonners could wear outfits from the vintage advertisements ....

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    Replies
    1. Tonner doesn't have the rights to Revlon as a whole, just the right to reproduce the doll who bore the name. I think it would be wonderful if the 13" Tonners had pretty faces. I would have more than one if they did.

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