Enlightened Platypus definitely has a style all their own. I swear if half of her shop automatically found it's way into my closet one night, I would be elated! 'Dream coats' is exactly what these are. One awesomely technicolor and/or Tim Burton mishmash dream.
they're lovely, but it's unfortunate she doesn't acknowledge inspiration from katwise, the originator of these designs. katwise is successful enough that she has granted friends the right to direct inspiration from her wares, and doesn't bother to go after all of the copycats. she's been open 4 years longer than this new shop and she is the original (and i believe the most successful custom clothing shop on etsy... of COURSE people would want to capitalize on that kind of success!)
ReplyDeleteVery true Desiree/Disarray. Your comments are valid but recycling old garments isn't a NEW thing, that has been going on for many years.
ReplyDeleteMy mother in law was doing that 40 years ago, as my mother and her mother before her. It was done many, many times before excess materials were readily available. And yes I'm talking about coats as well as all the other recycling.
My Nan redesigned jumpers that she had knitted when they were worn and had some holes in them and then re-knitted them into a different jumper. lol.. Long before the easy way of over lockers were around to make a quicker job.
Most artists get their ideas from some other creative take on something and just expand on it, that is the process. Do you really know that Katwise is the original creator of these coats?
Her coats are beautiful as are Enlightened Platypus, Katewise's are rawer looking and Enlightened Platypus has turned them into a more tailored look(in my opinion), which would appeal to a different market. Then you have Green Oak Creations (I think it's called) who has created something all together different, yes same principles but more labor intensive work wise.
I don't think it's fair to call others copycats of something that one person happened to get lucky on just because she is "online" selling her items.
The difference today is the internet where everyone can see what everyone is doing and create MEDIA hype around themselves with a product, a website, a blog, jazzy pictures etc. That is the world we live in now, to master being good at standing out, create a NAME for yourself, surround yourself with a following etc, it's all the same - marketing..
The ORIGINAL ideas of these items will never been truly know as the are too old to be "online" promoting themselves. And BELIEVE me it was longer than 4 years ago.. There was a movie on the other week that my husband was watching and it was an old western with an Indian wearing a coat the same with hood an all.
Last but not least, people get wrapped up with the "first in best dressed" grovel for one of her coats as they do for the other POPULAR makers of these coats. If there is more people selling them everyone that wants one can have one, and maybe find one more affordable to them and I believe that is fair enough, as if we all want to buy anything these day they are made available to us.. weather that be, cars, houses, cakes, shoes etc, etc...
I only mention all of this because I stumbled across this site as I was looking at craft items and when I read this it made me remember over 20 years ago I was revamping old jeans and doing crazy designs on shirts and selling at the markets, I was lucky enough to hit a FAD which in reality was an idea that came from an old magazine dating back 20 years before which was a project to do with your children on holidays.
I made some decent money, but everyone started doing the same thing. that's how it goes. but it wasn't ALL my idea, I just put it out there for people to see.
That battle will go on for ever in a day, big companies battle over each other all the time..
Just wanted speak up and share my thoughts.
Enlightened platypus copied katwises designs, her wording, her methods, even putting pictures of red hearts and a demented looking platypus in her older listings, when katwise started putting stars in her photos. A look back at Unenlightened Platypus's sold items tells the story.......
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