Inspiration or imitation? Shehla Chatoor vs Balmain

Chatoor’s latest collection ‘Misaki’ bears resemblance with outfits of Balmain’s A/W14 collection

LAHORE: The line between imitation and inspiration is often blurred, sometimes leading to replicas of outfits with minor twists and turns.

This is exactly what happened with one of Pakistan’s leading fashion designers Shehla Chatoor's 'Misaki' collection showcased at the recent Fashion Pakistan Week 2014, held in Karachi. The collection resonated with French design label Balmain’s AW14 collection.

The stunning Aamina Sheikh adorned one of Chatoor’s ‘Misaki’ ensembles at the Lux Style Awards held on December 4 and looked ravishing. However, Chatoor’s outfit was very similar to Balmain’s.

Commendably Chatoor was not only able to master the technique but also streamline it for her design house. As far as craftmanship and structure is concerned, this would have to be Chatoor’s most complex collection. However, unfortunately at first glance her aesthetic looked exactly like Balmain’s.

Refuting the notion of resemblance between the two collections, Chatoor told The Express Tribune, “I love Balmain’s work but I don’t think there is anything similar about it in my collection and what the design house showed.”

“I have always used leather detailing along with chains and studs in my clothes and I just revamped my look this time to give Pakistan a new aesthetic. Balmain doesn’t have their designs copyrighted and it seems like we both were inspired by the same history and employed the same craft to create our clothes,” she added.

In 2012, Christian Louboutin won a case against Yves Saint Laurent for copying their signature shoes with red soles, even though they were not patented to the design house but because they made a strong statement signature for the brand.

Design houses around the world use similar techniques to create their clothes. It is how a particular design house explores a technique in line with its design philosophy that sets it apart. Embroidery, stitching, weaving are all age old methods that are employed on a daily basis by all design houses; unfortunately, when the aesthetic starts resembling the work of another designer, it poses as an issue.

It is possible that both design houses were inspired by the same heritage, but how is it possible that they both have similar designs?

“If two designers have the same inspiration the concept of the clothes can become similar,” replied Chatoor.

High street fashion tweaks and twists designer label fashion to give a similar look that is not exactly the same. Designers and design houses however, do not have the same luxury. From the rope braiding to the metallic eyelets and woven leather, even inadvertently the collection feels alike.

From the black dominatrix outfit worn by Rosie Huntington on the Balmain AW14 runway at Paris Fashion Week to the details on the sleeves on Kendall Jenner’s campaign for the French design house, there are more similarities than one would like to believe.



Balmain (L) and Freiha Altaf in Shehla Chatoor (R). 

However, sharing their inspiration, Shehla Chatoor’s team told The Express Tribune, “The technique used in Kendall Jenner’s top is much easier and if we wanted to duplicate it, it will be much simpler. Balmain has used metal to keep the ropes together whereas we have actually employed the braiding. Look at the neck and centre front, the ropes are actually braided.”

Even though the techniques used by Shehla Chatoor are fantastic and she worked very hard to learn the basket weave and teach it to her craftsman, it just turned out that the end product carried Balmain’s aesthetic.

Meanwhile, here is a list of LSA winners this year:

Television

Best TV Serial Satellite – Babar Javed and Asif Raza Meer (Daagh)

Best TV Actor Satellite – Fawad Khan (Zindagi Gulzar Hai)

Best TV Actress Satellite – Sanam Saeed wins (Zindagi Gulzar Hai)

Best TV Serial Terrestrial – Mar Jaen Hum Toh Kya

Best TV Actor Terrestrial: Nauman Ejaz (Dil Awaiz)

Best TV Actress Terrestrial: Mehwish Hayat (Kami Reh Gai) and Yamina Peerzada (Roshni Andhera Roshni)

Best Writer: Amna Mufti (Ullu Bar-e-Furokht Nahi)

Best Director: Haseeb Hasan (Nanhi)

Film 

Best Actor – Khurram Patras (Zinda Bhaag)

Best Actress – Aamina Sheikh (Seedlings)

Best Director – Meenu and Farjad (Zinda Bhaag)

Best Film – Zinda Bhaag

Fashion

Model of the Year (Male) – Abbas Jaffri

Model of the Year (Female) – Cybil Chowdhry

Best Fashion Photographer – Rizwanul Haq

Best Hair and Make-up Artist – Nabila

Achievement in Fashion Design-Prêt – Body Focus by Iman Ahmed

Achievement in Fashion Design-Luxury Pret – Sania Maskatiya

Achievement in Fashion Design-Menswear – Ahmed Bham

Achievement in Fashion Design-Lawn – Sania Maskatiya

Best High Street Brand – Khaadi

Best Emerging Talent – Amna Babar

Music

Best Album – Rizwan Ali (Yaran Di Toli)

Best Music Video Director – Yasir Jaswal (Bolay)

Best Original Sound Track – Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib (Main Hoon Shahid Afridi)

Best Emerging Talent – Shahreyar Mirza

Song of the Year – Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Malaal)

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