Online boutique Dolls Kill are being accused of ripping off H3H3 Productions’ Teddy Fresh color block design with a pair of shoes featuring the same pattern and a bear logo.
YouTuber Hila Klein of H3H3 productions launched her brand Teddy Fresh along with husband Ethan Klein in 2017, and the clothing quickly gained popularity thanks to the bright and colorful designs.
One particular design that is one of the most recognizable of their works is the color block hoodie, which is a paneled design of various vibrant colors featuring a Teddy Fresh bear logo.
In September 2020, beauty influencer James Charles came under fire after he released his own merch that used a very similar color block design, with Ethan saying: “I know we didn’t invent color blocking, but I’m having a hard time with the new James Charles merch.” However, James claimed that he wasn’t familiar with Teddy Fresh.
When you DM’d me yesterday, I sent you the original photo that inspired my collection, explained I’ve never seen your brand, but also asked what you wanted me to do… You didn’t reply. After last year, I vowed to keep conversations private and create solutions, not drama. https://t.co/6LGYZRHiCl
— James Charles (@jamescharles) September 18, 2020
Now, fans are calling out clothing brand Dolls Kill after they noticed the company were selling a pair of shoes designed by Koi Footwear that had a similar color block design, along with a teddy logo.
TikToker easybakecovens made a video about the shoes, saying “Teddy Fresh can’t catch a break” and adding “Dolls Kill has some explaining to do.” They pulled up images of Teddy Fresh’s designs alongside James Charles’ merch and images of the Dolls Kill shoes in question to show the similarities between the designs.
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In response to commentary YouTuber Def Noodles’ thread on the subject, the clothing brand replied: “Hi! Thanks for notifying us of this. We are currently in contact with Koi Footwear, the designer of these shoes, to investigate these claims.”
Hi! Thanks for notifying us of this. We are currently in contact with Koi Footwear, the designer of these shoes, to investigate these claims.
— Dolls Kill (@dollskill) May 7, 2021
While Ethan replied to the same thread with a thinking emoji, he hasn’t said anything else about the accusations.
https://twitter.com/h3h3productions/status/1390531224511254532
At the time of writing, the color block shoes by Koi Footwear are still available on the Dolls Kill website. It’s unclear what conversations are going on between the companies behind the scenes, but many fans remain frustrated.