The CDFA Awards are fashion’s Oscars. Not only are they a chance for designers to be acknowledged for their impact on industry, but it’s a unique opportunity for them to flex their creative muscles via muses on the red carpet. In Virgil Abloh’s case, however, it seems as though there might not have been much creativity involved.
Abloh, who once tweeted “Design is the freshest scam. Quote me on that one,” is no stranger to plagiarism allegations. Apparently, they’ve followed him all the way to Louis Vuitton. Gigi Hadid’s Vuitton suit for last night’s ceremony prompted instant backlash from industry insiders who compared the designer’s offering to a recently-released look from LVMH Graduate Prize recipient and Céline-alum Peter Do.
Do took to Instagram stories to point out the similarities between the two designs, which are certainly uncanny.
As of this morning, the stories are still live, and it’s only a matter of time before fashion’s most-feared adjudicators, Diet Prada, pick up on the apparent snafu. Lord knows they’ve done it before—as recently, in fact, as a month ago.
While we wait for Diet Prada’s inevitable strike, let us recall Raf Simons’ memorable response to GQ when asked which young designers inspire him: “Not Off-White. He’s a sweet guy. I like him a lot actually. But I’m inspired by people who bring something that I think has not been seen, that is original.”