What should you do if someone steals your fashion designs?
First things first I should clarify that I am chronically ill. Every day activities are a struggle for me, the most basic task leaves me exhausted and in pain. But I have my passions, the main one is that I'm a dressmaker. I love making whimsical clothes, especially cloaks, and I'm starting a business from it.
My housemate's girlfriend recently started sewing, initially I didn't mind and didn't think it had any connection to me. Then she asked me where I got my material - I shared a secret with her, I get my material from a very specific store that sells vintage/antique bedding and curtains. It's taken me years to discover this secret. She even said she wanted green brocade so I gave her my own green brocade.
A few days later I was going to go to said supplier, and she said she would drop me off. I got lunch first, then when I went in she was there buying all the use-able brocade. We laughed it off but I did think it was a tad dodgy. But I assumed she'd be making very different things from me.
Last night I was in the dining room sewing. She was probing me with questions about how to make the cloaks, where I get the fur, how to sew the fur etc. Then she said she was going to start making fur lined cloaks too. I was pretty annoyed. She, with no sewing ability or experience at all, had the audacity to make 'suggestions' about how I could improve them too.
She had commissioned a purple cloak that I was making, but this morning she messaged to say she didn't want it any more. She lectured me about my pricing. Normally I'd charge around 250 but because she's a friend I was going to charge 170 dollars, which is not unreasonable for a hand made, custom made cloak. People sell them on etsy for up to a thousand dollars.
So I'm pretty sure she's going to make one herself, based on my designs, and annoyingly using my tips and advice. SHe has been trying to sell some of the other things she's made on instagram so she might try to sell them too. I don't think what she's doing is illegal but it certainly seems unreasonable to me.
But mostly it stings because I pour my soul into what I do. I try so hard and sometimes it takes everything out of me. She's young and able bodied. It makes me extremely anxious and upset to think she's going to steal my designs and ideas and be more successful than me.
I guess it doesn't help that she's tall and very beautiful too, and gets a lot of adoration from people. People already gush about how talented and amazing she is for making the most basic, simple thing. Also she works so she doesn't need the income from dressmaking like I do.
Probably seems like a really stupid, petty thing but this sort of identity theft has always gotten under my skin more than anything else. And I don't know if I should confront her and cause possible friction in the house, or just let this happen.
My housemate's girlfriend recently started sewing, initially I didn't mind and didn't think it had any connection to me. Then she asked me where I got my material - I shared a secret with her, I get my material from a very specific store that sells vintage/antique bedding and curtains. It's taken me years to discover this secret. She even said she wanted green brocade so I gave her my own green brocade.
A few days later I was going to go to said supplier, and she said she would drop me off. I got lunch first, then when I went in she was there buying all the use-able brocade. We laughed it off but I did think it was a tad dodgy. But I assumed she'd be making very different things from me.
Last night I was in the dining room sewing. She was probing me with questions about how to make the cloaks, where I get the fur, how to sew the fur etc. Then she said she was going to start making fur lined cloaks too. I was pretty annoyed. She, with no sewing ability or experience at all, had the audacity to make 'suggestions' about how I could improve them too.
She had commissioned a purple cloak that I was making, but this morning she messaged to say she didn't want it any more. She lectured me about my pricing. Normally I'd charge around 250 but because she's a friend I was going to charge 170 dollars, which is not unreasonable for a hand made, custom made cloak. People sell them on etsy for up to a thousand dollars.
So I'm pretty sure she's going to make one herself, based on my designs, and annoyingly using my tips and advice. SHe has been trying to sell some of the other things she's made on instagram so she might try to sell them too. I don't think what she's doing is illegal but it certainly seems unreasonable to me.
But mostly it stings because I pour my soul into what I do. I try so hard and sometimes it takes everything out of me. She's young and able bodied. It makes me extremely anxious and upset to think she's going to steal my designs and ideas and be more successful than me.
I guess it doesn't help that she's tall and very beautiful too, and gets a lot of adoration from people. People already gush about how talented and amazing she is for making the most basic, simple thing. Also she works so she doesn't need the income from dressmaking like I do.
Probably seems like a really stupid, petty thing but this sort of identity theft has always gotten under my skin more than anything else. And I don't know if I should confront her and cause possible friction in the house, or just let this happen.
31-35, F
