Black Designer Accuses Pharrell And Louis Vuitton of Stealing Her Design; ‘They Took The Concept’

An independent Black designer is calling out Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton for allegedly taking a concept she introduced online two years ago.

It all started after Pharrell debuted Louis Vuitton’s new SS24 collection at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The collection is the first under the music/fashion mogul’s direction as LV’s new menswear creative director.

After seeing the collection, fashion designer Kellie Ford took to TikTok to post a series of videos claiming one of her original designs was copied and incorporated into the new collection.

“Back in 2021, I had went viral for this Louis Vuitton shopping bag that I turned into a purse,” Ford said in her first of three video explanations.

@fly4ikellie ♬ original sound – Kellie Ford

Ford says her original design, consisting of an LV shopping bag that was inserted into plastic and turned into a chic handbag, garnered around 10 million views after being reposted on “every blog.” Now speed up to 2023, and Ford is convinced her original design was copied by Pharrell and the LV team.

In a second video, Ford defended her stance and said she has no interest in suing Pharrell or LV. She’s more bothered by the “concept” she believes “they took.”

“It ain’t about suing, it ain’t about infringement. The thing is they took the concept…The concept is the same,” she said. “The concept is, the bag being a normal paper bag being worn at leisure. That’s what they did. They took the concept of the bag…. It’s the concept, not the actual bag itself.”

@fly4ikellie ♬ original sound – Kellie Ford

Ford believes her original concept is what added “the sauce” LV allegedly “took” and added to their new menswear collection under Pharrell’s direction.

“Yes, it’s their bag. But it’s my sauce,” she quipped.

Many debated with Ford, with some claiming her design wasn’t copied and others encouraging her to reach out to LV for a potential partnership.

“Nah. They could literally sue you for making a profit off them without authorization,” one critic claimed.

“Reach out to them LV to ask for a partnership like Gucci and Dapper Dan,” a supporter wrote.

No word on if the designer has connected with Pharrell or LV.