… a Nicola Finetti design. Source: The Daily Telegraph
ON TREND fashion designer Kit Willow Podgornik is the latest Australian designer to accuse a fellow designer of “appropriating” her work.
Just as Collette Dinnigan took a shot at Thurley designer Helen O’Connor earlier this month, Podgornik has fired off a letter to fellow designer Nicola Finetti demanding Finetti “recall for destruction” pieces of his current collection and refrain from promoting, manufacturing and distributing the designs.
The more established and experienced Finetti yesterday confirmed to Confidential he had sought legal advice and was prepared to defend the claims by the Willow designer.
Podgornik’s general manager Elena Notte would not elaborate on the claims yesterday.
“We do not want to comment on the situation,” she said.
According to fashion sources, Podgornik has accused Finetti of copying the vertical scalloping detail featured in her spring/summer Creature collection in his spring/summer 09 collection.
Finetti has shot back stating that in fact the scalloping detail had been a feature of his work for years.
“She has said I have copied her bird-inspired ‘feather upon feather’ designs but in fact for years I have been using scallops in my designs. I had vertical scallops in my work in May 2008 – before she produced her 09 collection,” Finetti said.
“What she calls feather, I was calling fish scale inspiration. I have had scallops both vertical and horizontal on my pieces for some time. It is an evolution of work I was doing in 2000.
“I don’t want to be nasty but she never was my inspiration.”
Finetti produced pictures revealing scallops as the dominant feature in his black and white 08/09 collection.