Why Kim Kardashian Is Calling Out Fast-Fashion Sites on Social Media

Over the weekend, Kim Kardashian West attended the Hollywood Beauty Awards in Los Angeles in a barely there vintage Thierry Mugler gown. The dress, from the house's spring 1998 haute couture collection, had people talking online. (A sampling of headlines: "Kim Kardashian Wore the Sexiest/Craziest Dress Ever and Was THIS Close to Having a Nip Slip," "Kim Kardashian Wore Her Most Revealing Dress Yet and Twitter Is Shook," "Kim Kardashian Debuts Her Most Shocking Dress Yet (and Avoids a Wardrobe Malfunction).") And within hours it had been knocked off.

By Monday, shoppers could go on Fashion Nova's website and purchase the "Winning Beauty Cut Out Gown," a black maxi featuring cutouts and slits similar to those on Kardashian West's Mugler dress. Its product description doesn't reference her or her look, but it still sold out. (There's an option to join a waiting list.)

Fashion Nova, often referred to as a retailer for the Instagram age, releases merchandise at an incredibly fast pace and promotes it on influencers ranging from Cardi B to Kylie Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian. Over the years it's been accused of ripping off designers on multiple occasions, some instances more brazen than others: Never forget how it re-created Jenner's twenty-first-birthday outfits and put them up for purchase on its site within hours of her party.

The timing of Fashion Nova's latest Kardashian-inspired release — which theoretically involved designing a dress, making a sample, and photographing a model wearing it before putting it on its e-commerce — raised some eyebrows. Shortly after the dress appeared online, the fashion watchdog Instagram account Diet Prada shared its own theory as to how FashionNova was able to turn it around so quickly: Could it have gotten a tip from Kardashian West herself?

Diet Prada based its speculation on an Instagram Story from a reported Fashion Nova e-commerce model, Yodit Yemane, in which she shares images of the "Winning Beauty Cut Out Gown" on February 14, days before Kardashian West would wear the vintage Mugler dress. So Diet Prada asked its 1.1 million Instagram followers: "Did Fashion Nova whip up the dress overnight in their Los Angeles atelier after seeing Kim in it or is she peddling her vintage finds to mass retailers ahead of debuting them for a calculated, timely release?" (Diet Prada wasn't available to comment for this story.)

Kardashian West herself responded to that question on Tuesday. In a series of tweets, the reality star and businesswoman addressed allegations that she cooperated with Fashion Nova to replicate her looks, saying that she's "not leaking my looks to anyone"—and that it's "devastating" to see the designer pieces she wears knocked off at any retailer.

"Only two days ago, I was privileged enough to wear a one-of-a-kind vintage Mugler dress, and in less than 24 hours it was knocked off and thrown up on a site," she said. "This is a way to get people to sign up for their mailing list and make people believe there is some kind of relationship between me and this fashion site. There is not."

Kardashian West contextualized her remarks in past accusations against Fashion Nova of copying Yeezy, her husband Kanye West's label: "I’ve watched these companies profit off my husband’s work for years, and now that it’s also affecting designers who have been so generous to give me access to their beautiful works, I can no longer sit silent."

She ended the thread by explaining how she'll often plan outfits months in advance — and setting designers up to be copied would only undermine them. "I’m not leaking my looks to anyone, and I don’t support what these companies are doing," she wrote.

When asked to comment, a representative for Fashion Nova told Glamour that the brand has not been in contact with Kardashian West, nor did it intentionally copy her dress.

"We respect the fashion community and work with a variety of vendors, designers, influencers, and celebrities to keep our style offering fresh and relevant," a representative for Fashion Nova said. "Kim Kardashian West is one of the top fashion icons in the world that our customers draw inspiration from. However, we have not worked with Kim Kardashian West directly on any of her projects but have been driven by her influential style."

This is the first time Kardashian West has publicly addressed fast-fashion sites' copying her and her family's outfits. Although she herself has been accused of ripping off the work of other designers: In 2017 her children's clothing label, Kids Supply, was called out for its similarities to Vetements outfits worn by her daughter North West.

More Kardashian smackdowns:

• Kim Kardashian Responds to Tabloid That Body-Shamed for Her Psoriasis

• Kourtney Kardashian Responds to Fan Who Mom-Shamed Her Bikini Photo

• Khloé Kardashian Just Called Out All the People Pregnancy-Shaming Her Right Now

Now, a Rihanna-inspired makeup challenge: