Blogilates founder accuses fast fashion brand Shein of stealing her skirt design

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Cassey Ho, founder of popular fitness brand Blogilates, recently took to social media to accuse Chinese fast fashion retailer Shein of stealing one of her skirt designs.

In an Instagram post, the 36-year-old fitness entrepreneur expressed his frustration and anger after discovering that the global brand had allegedly plagiarized the design of his Pirouette Skort.

Ho posted several side-by-side comparison images highlighting the similarities between his design and the one sold by Shein.

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According to Ho, she initially had conflicting emotions as she was unsure whether to be flattered or upset at being copied.

“Is this a twisted fashion designer rite of passage?” Ho wrote. “How should I be flattered??? But that’s kinda hard to be when you’ve just been robbed in broad daylight.

Commenters on Ho’s Instagram post mostly expressed support for Ho while condemning Shein for the alleged copying.

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“Don’t support @sheinofficial anymore!!” a user wrote. “It’s terrible for them. I’m sorry this happened to you.

“It’s just terrible,” added another commenter. “Not only the design, but also the poses. Come on!! Couldn’t they have made it less obvious?

“Omg so sorry this happened to you!” another wrote. “They are definitely shitty for doing this to you and so many others!”

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In a following blog post, Ho explained the process of designing the Pirouette Skort, which she showcased in a viral YouTube video that generated over 26 million views.

While the skirt sold out within days of its release, Ho improved the design even further, removing the front seam to avoid “camel toes”, lengthening the back of the skirt for more coverage, and removing the elastic of the waistband to avoid pinching.

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Ho highlighted the lengthy prototyping process to ensure quality and fit. She then argued that fast fashion giants like Shein have ruined consumers’ perception of how long it takes to make quality clothes.

Ho released the updated Pirouette Skort on January 5 with all the improvements she wanted. While it took Ho five months to perfect his design, Shein was able to release his alleged copy of the skirt a few weeks later.

Shein, who was recently valued at $64 billion, has faced several similar design theft charges in the past.

In June 2021, designer Mariama Diallo, founder of the women’s clothing line Sincerely Riatook to Twitter to call out the brand for copying her label’s look and designs.

Meanwhile, in June 2022, the Florida-based artist Magdalena Mollman filed a complaint against the company for more than $100 million in damages for removing some of his copyrighted work from his Instagram from 2019 to 2021 without his consent.

In 2020, the online retailer was also called out on social media for selling a swastika necklace.