Thoughts on recent Decor8 post “DIY is not Duplicate It Yourself!”

Posted on 13. Mar, 2010 by in business, craft

Today Decor8 posted a very thought-provoking article written by Erika Firm, president and designer at Delphine Fine Stationery and Design about the noticeable increase in “duplicate it yourself” projects in design industries–especially among brides, wedding blogs, and the wedding industry as a whole. This issue is particularly touchy for me and there is a great discussion going on in the comments. I felt moved to post on my own website with my impressions. Peppered throughout are some photos of my most amazingly original customers who inspire and motivate me every day.

Photo of Alex and Kim by Calla Evans Photography

These are the main thoughts that came to my mind after reading the article:

  1. Trust your vendors. We know that you want your big wedding day to be special, unique, memorable, and in this day and age, blog-worthy! You hired us in the first place because that is what we are experts at producing.  As Amanda from Ruffled said, trusting your vendors is important because “…creative vendors, such as stationery designers, photographers, event designers etc. have the talent to use the unknown to create something completely unique.”
  2. You are creative! Jessica from Sweet Eventide wrote, “I have many friends who say point blank, ‘I am not creative’ and I just don’t believe it. I think every single person has an ability to be creative but it takes effort to learn about yourself.” Projects like making an inspiration board and identifying what kind of design moves you is the first step toward claiming you own creative voice. use those photos and clippings as a jumping-off point and try to figure out what it is that draws you to that style. Is it something about the texture in the photos, the soft lighting, or a common detail like eyelet lace or natural wood? Use that knowledge to branch out of what has inspired you and think of other things you could incorporate and claim as your own.
  3. There is a real person behind every design (a point also emphasized by Erika, the original post author.) My business supports my family, enables me to hire employees and support their families, represents my true passion, and was built with years of hard work. Copying the work of a designer is not only potentially harmful to their bottom line (So what to you, right? You’re on a budget, right?), it’s also emotionally painful. Our ideas are our capital and copying it results in lost revenue, lost jobs, and missed opportunities whether the copier’s intentions are good or not.
  4. Open an honest dialogue with a designer if you find that the cost of their work is prohibitive to you. Every friend I have in graphic and textile design is happy to do this, so don’t be afraid that you are offending them. We often have other options, we can substitute materials, we can help you visualize a lower cost option. What is offensive is asking a designer for a price quote, then telling them you’d rather do try to make it yourself for less.
  5. If you copy a designer, they will find out! We see you!

Photo of Mariam practicing a dance for the reception by Christine Chang

I have felt very strongly about this issue–”duplicate it yourself”–for years. The first time I found that I was being copied by someone trying to make a profit–and I’m talking cut for cut, stitch for stitch–I became so depressed. It was in 2007. I lost days of productivity and just kept wondering and worrying. What if I can’t ever make a living doing this? How many customers have I lost? How many people have seen this embarrassing second-rate workmanship and associated it with me? What if I lose all my customers because this person charges less money? I was in the ethical “right,” yet I felt embarassed and ashamed and thought it would be unprofessional to say something publicly, let alone confront the copier.

Phil and Amy’s UK wedding photographed by Pete & Sue Hanysz

And it IS hard to know what to do. I wish that we designers had more knowledge and resources to learn how to deal with copiers. What is the best way to communicate disappointment and maintain professionalism? If legal action is appropriate, what do you do then? With the internet, it’s easy to feel like a small fish hiding in a big sea but we always do find out.

Sara Jane and Meg’s wedding photographed by Sarah Maren

Like I briefly mentioned in my most recent Questions From You post, I used to get extremely privately bent when I found someone on Etsy or elsewhere copying my work and my concept. Now I feel better because I feel like I have had enough mainstream exposure to establish myself as the authority on my designs. But, I admit that I see it as a “race to Martha.” Whoever gets on that show first with the embroidered felt flower bouquet and button boutonnieres will win in my mind. And that includes you, Martha–don’t you dare show your audience how to make one of my projects without me standing next to you sweating and stumbling! :)

Heather and Kevin’s DIY scrapbooking wedding photographed by guests!

The question posed by Erika on Decor8′s post is, “How do we, as a creative community, get others who might not see the difference to understand why copying is wrong (and get them to stop asking us to do it and get them to stop doing it themselves).”

What do you think?

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27 Responses to “Thoughts on recent Decor8 post “DIY is not Duplicate It Yourself!””

  1. It’s time to broach the subject of rampant rip-offs in the mainstream wedding culture. Is it ever okay to profit from someone else’s design? ›› Princess Lasertron

    11. Jul, 2011
    3:59 am

    [...] with me about this issue that many designers in the wedding industry face regarding copying and duplicate-it-yourself, but we didn’t get in [...]

    Reply to this comment

  2. Calla Evans

    19. Mar, 2010
    10:25 am

    “I love Calla Evans’s work! She just injects personality into everybody.”

    *blush* thank you for the kind words!

    Reply to this comment

  3. Jessica

    19. Mar, 2010
    9:38 am

    I am a creator, I am also getting married in May. We have incorporated my love for creating, and his love for golf to the “n”th degree, right down to a logo. We’re getting married in one place and having a reception in each of our home towns. Your flowers were perfect! I wanted to use them everywhere! On the tables as bouquets! When I contacted you they WERE out of my price range, and the kits hadn’t come out yet so the thought really didn’t cross my mind. I hadn’t spent enough time reading crafters blogs to realise they really want to work with you. I thought I’d be inconveniencing these awe inspiring creators. I figured, no way am I anywhere near Lasertron calliber but in her hay-day my mother was very talented in her stitch work and had won many ribbons at the fair etc. I took this as an opportunity to learn something from her that I might not otherwise have learned. The process was stimulating as I had jumped into an Olympic size project head first. The appreciation I have for Princess Lasertrons speed, skill with scissors and thread, and the ability to come up with something original every time has been multiplied a gazillion times. I work on my flowers everywhere and carry around printout of Princess Lasertrons blog (now her magazine page!) to show people this fabulous artist say by all means it is worth it 100% to get Lasertron flowers because wow I’ve been working on these a LONG time. It’s not easy, and hers are great.

    I am also grateful because while I may have been able to purchase a kit, this process has allowed me to work with the women in my life who have skills that are considered to be fading in my generation. My mother has been diagnosed with cancer and will not make it to my wedding. To know that she worked on some of these flowers and some of these are her buttons is like having her there. To know that my friend in Kansas wanted to be a part of the wedding but couldn’t now feels like she is because she sent me buttons is heart warming. To have flower sewing parties where I have taught some stitches to my cousins who each contributed a bit is so exciting because while mine isn’t at Laserton caliber I can give her all the credit in the world for mind boggling inspiration and know that in my flowers are more love from all over on this special day.

    I apologize for not thinking outside the box and pursuing other options harder, but I thank you for these wonderful experiences, and inspiration.

    Reply to this comment

  4. FullertonRegan

    18. Mar, 2010
    7:02 pm

    I love this discussion. I think there is such a fine line between being inspired and being a rip off, and as one who refills her well daily with inspiration from other sources, I sometimes can’t help but feel like one big, shady copycat. I can’t tell if my work is truly mine, or if it’s just a knock off.

    Many of the garments I make are from patterns, so obviously that’s using someone else’s pattern to make myself pants, skirts, etc., but I don’t sell that stuff and look at that as one bucket of creativity. It’s more like an “activity” if you will — I get to go into autopilot.

    My other bucket, the part of me starting to venture out into my own skills and my own ideas…. that one’s harder to classify. If I see a dress at JCrew or Banana Republic, I KNOW I can’t afford it, but I also know I can make it myself. Now, I just look at the basic silhouette and go from there, but aren’t I just ripping off their idea? It’s by no means a stitch for stitch copy, but I’m still in NO WAY responsible for the idea… it makes me feel like such a copycat, but am I in the wrong?

    I guess I’m not technically venturing into “my own ideas”, but instead am being heavily influenced by what I see and cannot afford. And I’ve asked them, they won’t sell to me for less. ;)

    Not to make light of this. I really do agree it’s something we need to honor. But at what point is it inspiration and not duplication? If my heart tells me that I was inspired by something, but a real creator of the idea thinks I just ripped her off, who’s right? I would really hate to do that to another designer…

    Reply to this comment

  5. Allison

    18. Mar, 2010
    8:44 am

    I understand what you mean about someone copying your idea. I think that you have an incredible talent and all of your projects are so beautiful I just love them all. I am planning on getting married May of next year and I found you while I was researching bouquets. I fell in love with your bouquets and the brooch bouquets and especially because my wedding is going to be vintage and my grandmother was a very crafty person she has piles of craft supplies and hundreds of brooches. I will be honest and tell you that I really can’t afford one of your bouquets or your kits. But your flowers did inspire me to try something kind of similar to your bouquets but I would not even try to duplicate your Idea. I just wanted to comment on here and see what you had to say and pray that in no way did I offend you. Basically I guess I’m asking for permission to try something similar to this.

    Thank you

    Reply to this comment

    • Princess Lasertron

      18. Mar, 2010
      10:30 pm

      I am just asking out of curiosity for my own information, did you ever ask me how much the bouquets cost?

      Reply to this comment

      • Allison

        19. Mar, 2010
        9:20 pm

        No but I only have 200 dollars to spend on my wedding and I’m not even spending money on a dress. I’m sorry I know I should have first I am so sorry!!!

        Reply to this comment

      • Allison

        19. Mar, 2010
        9:24 pm

        I’m sorry I was also going to tell you that the bouquet I’m hoping to try and make is out of quilted flowers that my grandmother had quilted before she died and I didn’t know what I could do with them until I saw your design. So you inspired me to actually make something beautiful with them that I can keep forever since I don’t know how to sew and couldn’t for the life of me bring myself to try and take a chance of messing them up.

        Reply to this comment

  6. amy

    17. Mar, 2010
    8:06 pm

    i couldn’t help but think of designer knockoffs as i read this post. i think that your business will continue to be successful because there are always people who want the real chanel, not a fake. if i get married one day [fingers crossed. haha.] and decide i want a felt arrangement, i’m coming to you because i want the real thing. still, i know it has to be frustrating and just generally emotionally hard to see people blatantly copy your work. i’ll be rooting for you to make it on martha first. :]

    Reply to this comment

  7. Merry WA

    15. Mar, 2010
    1:09 am

    I hope that such informative blogs will help educated us mere mortals. While I don’t doubt that many people will copy designers, hopefully if other designers/retailers continue to refuse & explain why, this may help reduce this problem. It is such a shame that copyright is so difficult to enforce and understand.

    Reply to this comment

  8. Rachel

    14. Mar, 2010
    10:19 pm

    I love that people are chiming in and blogging about this topic! Thanks so much for carrying on the dialogue, I’ll be linking. I can’t believe you haven’t been on Martha. You’d be perfect! I wish I had a Bedazzled Magic Martha phone where I could pick up and she’s instantly be on the other line…

    Reply to this comment

  9. Steff Metal » Blog Archive » Linking Horn: 14 March 2010 – Steff Metal

    14. Mar, 2010
    3:03 pm

    [...] on Decor8 about the increase in DIY Duplicate-it-Yorself projects and how they hurt designers. Princess Lasertron offers a personal look at how this Duplicate-it-Yourself ethos has affected [...]

    Reply to this comment

  10. megan v

    13. Mar, 2010
    9:14 pm

    The copyright/trademark thing is so tricky in design. In print/pattern design, we are told “change it 20%”. Only extremely specific things can be copyrighted. For example, three white stripes of the same size in a row are protected… by adidas. We were designing some “preppy grosgrain ribbon” belts with different stripes and dots on them. One was a White to color stripe in which 3 of the stripes happened to be white. We had to change it to 4! But something as “unmeasurable” as cut and sewn fabric… just can’t be protected the same way. Just keep being the BEST felt/button/stitched bouquet designer and you’ll continue on with your successes :)

    Reply to this comment

  11. Adrienne

    13. Mar, 2010
    6:47 pm

    Did a wee bit of research (maternity leave: week 4…..) and I find that with music, you can completely copy up to six tones in a song, as long as you change the seventh, it’s not stealing. Even if you go right back to the same melody after that seventh note.

    There has to be some kind of a grass roots way to get you on Martha. Or at least Ellen. :)

    Reply to this comment

  12. Adrienne

    13. Mar, 2010
    3:44 pm

    Hm. That surprises me that the flowers can’t be trademarked… I mean, artists and poet trademark their work all the time. I realize that prosecution would be difficult, but maybe that’s not the point. I mean…. there are only 12 tones available in music, but musicians can still copywrite the way that they originally arranged those 12 tones. There’s only 26 letters, and yet poets are allowed to trademark the way they put them together. I am really surprised that you can’t trademark the way that you arrange felt, buttons, and ephemera.

    I wonder if there is like…. another part of the copywrite law or somewhere…. like if you trademarked the bouquet, as a whole, as a piece of art. Or something.

    In any case, I’m glad you’re marking your stuff now. Someday, an original Princess Lasertron bouquet will be worth exponentially more than a knock off. My grandchildren will see your stuff on Antiques Roadshow and then smile at our wedding pictures. :)

    Reply to this comment

    • Princess Lasertron

      13. Mar, 2010
      4:26 pm

      well all a copier has to do to be protected is change ONE thing about the design. and since each flower is so unique because of the vintage materials, there’s pretty much no way to cover it.

      Reply to this comment

  13. karen.jersey

    13. Mar, 2010
    1:47 pm

    Great link (ytwwn).

    And, I agree–you are the one who belongs next to Martha!

    Reply to this comment

  14. lisa

    13. Mar, 2010
    12:04 pm

    have you investigated trademark possibilities? if there were something you could trademark – perhaps a logo that you could include in each bouquet (maybe you could cast it, like a button, or silkscreen it on the back of a petal) you might have some legal teeth and something concrete that you can defend. i don’t know much about this; i’m not a lawyer and i definitely don’t know much about trademark in the world of hand-made items, but if you’ve never investigated it, it may be worth checking into.

    i really hope you do get on Martha one day! i would love to see that.

    Reply to this comment

    • Princess Lasertron

      13. Mar, 2010
      3:04 pm

      thanks for the suggestion! I have looked into it and while a mark can be trademarked, the flowers themselves can’t be–so if someone replicates the flowers and doesn’t include the mark, then they’re free and clear.

      I do send out my bouquets now with a custom stamp on the inside that dyes the fabric which is kind of my “mark” that each customer gets.

      Reply to this comment

  15. Alison Kelly

    13. Mar, 2010
    8:05 am

    Great article Megan. I’m probably the most un-craftiest person I know, and whenIi tried my hand at Princess Lasertron-like flowers, it was a disaster … you have a true art! Even with your flower kit, they look much nicer from far away, but when you see my stiching .. eekkks!!!

    Here’s the poop Megan, when anyone in North America who is at all interested in the wedding industry hears “felt and button flowers” your name is the only one that comes to mind.

    I know a bride who was inspred by your flowers and made her own, but when talking about them (online) she always said “I wish I could have Princess Lasertron flowers …. inspired by Princess Lasertron”.

    There will always be copy cats, but no one is as hard working, talented and well-liked as you. That’s what why success will always be in your court.

    PS – Love that you featured a Canadian Photographer (Calla Evans)
    PPS – thanks for the link to “you thought we didn’t know” .. love it
    PPPS – You + Martha FOREVER!

    Reply to this comment

    • Princess Lasertron

      13. Mar, 2010
      3:02 pm

      “I wish I could have Princess Lasertron flowers …. inspired by Princess Lasertron”

      Honestly I roll my eyes at this because I wonder if she even contacted me. I see my name mentioned on wedding boards ALL THE TIME and people always say things like “I wish I could afford her” or “Too bad it’s out of my budget.” They had never even asked me!

      I love Calla Evans’s work! She just injects personality into everybody. I THINK Kim and Alex are in Toronto too btw.

      love YOU forever!

      Reply to this comment

  16. Mary B.

    13. Mar, 2010
    6:34 am

    How do you feel if someone copies your design, but credits you for the idea? Your work has been featured a lot of OffBeatBride, but I know not all the button bouquets shown have been Princess Lasertron originals (or made from Princess Lasertron kits). If I were to make a bouquet but credit you with the design “this was inspired by Princess Lasertron”, how does that make you feel? Is it still being a total rip-off?

    I’ve been having these anxieties since I set the date (and my fiance and I have a rather short engagement). The internet is full of so many ideas, too many in fact, and while I would love to support as many cool vendors as possible, I just can’t. I don’t have the financial ability to do so. I’ve often looked at things on Etsy or in Artisan shops and thought “I could do that”, but I know the craftsmanship wont be the same, nor will it be worth my time to cram another DIY project onto the list. But I can’t always stop people in my wedding party and family from being copycats with DIY projects, we’re a crafty AND thrifty bunch. In the case of the cake topper, I fell in love with all the painted peg dolls I saw on Etsy. But how do I know which seller had the “original” idea to do custom-painted peg dolls? Can one vendor stand up and say “That was my idea”? I remember painting peg dolls as a child, although for a rainy day craft project and not for a wedding. My mother is a portrait artist and offered to paint little pegs dolls for me, and I accepted, because I know she has the talent and the skills. In this case I don’t feel all that bad for Etsy sellers, because I know my mother is the right person to do that DIY, and because I think the peg doll idea is more of a public domain concept, than something such as your bouquets which to me ARE an original idea. I’ll certainly credit the idea to those who inspired us, though. Part of me wishes I could simply order from these artists, but my mother has talents, and it means a lot to both of us that she paint our cake topper. It’s a sticky subject, that’s for sure.

    My take? DIY is a great tool, if you stay within your skills and interests, and also if you credit the right people for ideas and inspirations. We’re doing a lot of DIY for our wedding, but only things that we care about, and already have the tools to do. But you can talk to artists first, many are willing to arrange a deal. My agreement with you, Meg, comes to mind. Blatantly ripping someone off is not cool, especially those who do it for profit, like copycat Etsy vendors. But brides, who are on a budget, and doing it for personal use? I don’t think it’s the same issue as someone copycatting for profit. I don’t think there are cut and dry answers to this issue.

    Reply to this comment

    • Princess Lasertron

      13. Mar, 2010
      3:01 pm

      Mary:

      Obviously I prefer that people buy the kits or work with me personally but I do appreciate at least the credit. That way, if others see the bouquet they know who to contact for more information about the design.

      You make a great point that as a consumer, it’s really challenging to know the progeny of an idea.

      I think the most obvious line is crossed when people A) don’t give credit for the inspiration when they ARE creating a copy for their own use and B) definitely when they copy things for profit. Even if you are “inspired” by a craft idea, there are so many ways to put your own spin on it–no one should have to be reduced to blatant plagiarism.

      I think it comes down to us as individuals to take responsibility, give credit, and speak up when we spot a rip-off.

      Reply to this comment

  17. rebecca smith

    13. Mar, 2010
    6:28 am

    As a relatively new reader of your blog, I am going to take a risk here and possibly sound incredibly stupid, BUT. . . Have you contacted Martha?? I cannot imagine her NOT wanting to have you on her show!!! You are such an incredibly talented young women and such an inspiration. I would think she would jump at the chance to do a feature about you and your life and beautiful creations. Best of luck to you ! I just love your blog and your honesty (and your color combos!) :)

    Reply to this comment

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