The internet has been agog over the excellent, one-of-a-kind outfits worn by guests at the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, which was held over the weekend.
As pictures and videos from the event went viral, media outlets and fashion enthusiasts worldwide praised the garments while highlighting the designers’ ingenuity.
A lot of favourable comparisons have been made between our local designers and fashion houses abroad, with many opining that Nigerian designers can stand toe to toe with any brand in the world, no matter how long-established.
Unfortunately, it has not been all praise. Some Nigerian designers have been accused of producing looks based on sketches by foreign designers without proper credit. This is not the first time such allegations have been made.
Intellectual property theft has been a perpetual challenge in the Nigerian creative industry. Designs are often replicated without remorse, and it’s disappointing that this persists, especially now that fashion lovers and stakeholders all over the world have their eyes firmly on Nigeria.
Laura Ikeji
Reality TV Star Laura Ikeji wore a lovely butterfly dress to the event and credited Lipex Stitches for it on Instagram. It has since emerged that the dress was a recreation of a digital sketch posted by fashion designer Rexhep Nuhiji on his social media page in January.
Laura Ikeji wasn’t the only one to copy the sketch, as Angolan actress and producer Lesliana Pereira, was also dressed in the same design by Abikss Couturier.
While both dresses had slight modifications, there is no denying they were dupes of Rexhep Nuhiji’s design, and he took to his Instagram page to call them out for stealing his work.
Nana Akua Addo
When it comes to her fashion choices, Ghanaian Actress Nana Akua Addo is not shy about making a bold statement on the red carpet. She is also not new to controversy and has been accused of plagiarism in the past. This time around, she and designer Abbass Woman have been called out regarding the jaw-dropping cathedral dress she donned at this year’s award ceremony.
A French fashion house, Almee Couture, released a statement implying that the design sketch was obtained from them without their consent.
Their official statement read: “This project was originally developed with the client last year as part of a commissioned couture piece. The initial cathedral-inspired concept was shared with us by the client, and based on that direction, Almée Couture developed the final artistic vision, original sketch, silhouette, structural detailing, and couture interpretation for the design.
“Following the cancellation of the project and refund of the deposit, we later discovered that the final gown was created elsewhere using the original sketch and design direction developed by Almée Couture, without acknowledgement of our creative contribution.”
In response to the allegations, Nana Akua Addo stated that the design was indeed her brainchild. Still, she left the sketch behind because Almee Couture was unable to execute her vision satisfactorily. She posted screenshots of her consultations with the fashion house to back up her claims. 
Toni Tones
Actress Toni Tones was also caught up in a plagiarism dispute. British fashion designer and illustrator Hayden Williams accused her and her stylist of copying the design in the illustration he created for Hollywood actress Teyana Taylor without his permission or acknowledgement.
Hayden Williams, who has worked with big names like Kim Kardashian, Gwen Stefani and others, was alerted to their actions by his fans. After he called them out, Toni Tones and her stylist, Style Dejavuu, capitulated and gave him credit for the design on their individual Instagram pages.
However, for reasons unknown to us, and to his great displeasure, Toni Tones has since deleted the acknowledgement.