Renowned Pakistani designer Hussain Rehar recently found himself in controversy, accused of plagiarism by artist Alisha Yazdani, the proprietor of Kook Studio, an online store.

Yazdani took to Instagram and claimed Hussain Rehar had allegedly 'stolen' her work for his latest clothing line, ‘Jugnu’, after initially proposing a collaboration.

Yazdani claimed that there were similarities between her work and Rehar’s work for the ‘Jugnu’ collection.

The designs were featured on a black base of the cloth with some traditional patterns as well as elements like birds, flowers, etc.

Here are the exact words stated by Yazdani:

“While I was in the process of finishing my own clothing line based on my color palette (white on black) and my illustrations, I heard of this launch. How disheartening to live in a place where there is no concept of accountability and intellectual property rights. Please share if you feel the same.” Yazdani later added, “Edit: I never provided any of my work after negotiations fell through post meeting him. Months later I see a whole line replicating my work.”

 

 

 

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A post shared by Alisha Yazdani (@kook.studios)

Reacting to Yazdani’s statement, Rehar took to his Instagram stories and denied the allegations saying that his project ‘Jugnu’ was in process for years after inspiration from traditional African embroidery designs.

“Where are the similarities?”, he asked.

Here are the exact words stated by the designer:

“Jugnu is dedicated to upholding the principles of artistic expression, cultural appreciation, and ethical design practices. We hold the artist community in high regard and are committed to resolving any misunderstandings in a respectful manner. We encourage open dialogue and look forward to ensuring that our shared passion for creativity continues to thrive.”

He also shared a close-up picture of his work with Yazdani’s work in one frame in order to highlight the pattern of both designs.

Moreover, Jugnu Candles, an online store also charged Rehar with stealing the logo and brand name for his ‘Jugnu’ clothing line. The store made an attempt to handle the issue with Rehar's officials but claimed that they were unwilling to do so.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jugnu (@jugnucandle)