Renowned fashion designer Hussain Rehar has found himself at the centre of a controversy after artist Alisha Yazdani accused the designer of appropriating her artwork for his clothing line “Jugnu.”
Yazdani took to social media to voice her grievances, expressing her disappointment in a place where “there is no concept of accountability and intellectual property rights.”
She claimed that her color palette (white on black) and illustrations were mirrored in Rehar’s recent clothing line launch, a move she found disheartening.
“Please share if you feel the same,” Yazdani wrote.
Yazdani further clarified that no collaboration had taken place between them, stating, “I never provided any of my work after negotiations fell through post meeting him. Months later I see a whole line replicating my work.”
Yazdani, who runs the online store Kook Studio, later added, “Edit: I never provided any of my work after negotiations fell through post meeting him. Months later I see a whole line replicating my work.”
Jugnu’s founder did not stay quiet over this and defended his creative process, asserting that the inspiration for “Jugnu” came from traditional African embroidery designs rather than any specific individual’s work.
Rehar acknowledged the use of a monochromatic palette but argued that such elements are commonly found in various art forms across cultures.
The atelier then shared a comparison between his work and Yazdani’s art with his followers and asked the followers to find the similarities and make their own judgments.
He did not deny that he initially reached out to the artist for a collaboration, but also clarified that “any interruption in commmunication with a particular artist occured due to a project postponement and not as a reflection of our intentions.”
He emphasised that his outreach to artists has always been driven by a genuine desire for collaboration and creative exchange.
“If our intention had been to appropriate someone’s work, we would not have initiated contact in the first place,” he added.
However, these allegations are not the only ones Rehar faces.
Another online store, Jugnu Candles, has accused him of plagiarising their brand name and image for his Jugnu clothing line.
The store claimed that they attempted to address the issue through Rehar’s representatives but received little attention.
According to Jugnu Candles, Rehar’s manager/representative insisted that they were “a very big brand” and refused to discuss the matter further.
Rehar is yet to address the accusations by Jugnu Candles.
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