influencers starting making deals with Fashion Nova.” Fast-fashion brands are appealing because they bring the general public celebrity-inspired looks that they otherwise would not be able to afford. However, this strategy often comes at the expense of others, particularly celebrities and couture designers. There is a fine line between using designs as inspiration and blatantly knocking off someone’s work, and Fashion Nova is notorious for crossing it. In 2019, Kim Kardashian-West appeared at the fifth Annual 174 | THREAD
Hollywood Beauty Awards wearing a vintage Thierry Mugler gown. The ensemble served as a preview for what was to be shown at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibition, “Thierry Mugler: Couturissime.” Hours after Kardashian-West walked the red carpet, Fashion Nova debuted the “Winning Beauty Cut Out Gown” which was identical to the Mugler piece. As a response to the scandal, Kardashian-West tweeted, “It’s devastating to see these fashion companies rip off designs that have taken the blood, sweat