• H&M has been called out for copying Asian-American designer Chet Lo’s popular spiky knitwear.
• “Authenticity, originality and creativity can never be reproduced,” Lo said on Instagram.
• Fast fashion brands have been accused numerous times before for copying runway designs.

Asian American designer Chet Lo has called out a “certain fast fashion company” for copying his signature spiky knitwear designs.

Last Saturday, the London-based designer took to Instagram to address the claims that a mass fashion brand had plagiarized his work. 

“As a small brand and queer POC independent designer, I have worked incredibly hard to produce something that was based off my heritage,” he said. “I have always based my designs around my own personal experiences and I feel that it can be seen in my work.”

A post shared by 【ＣＨＥＴ　ＬＯ】 (@chet__lo)

“These fast fashion companies consistently replicate works of smaller and more creative designers, but at the end of the day, authenticity, originality, and creativity can never be reproduced,” he continued.

While Lo declined to name the fast fashion company in question, the Instagram watchdog account Diet Prada juxtaposed pieces from H&M’s new “Cherish Waste” collection next to some of Lo’s designs for comparison. 

A post shared by Diet Prada ™ (@diet_prada)

The Diet Prada post also included screenshots of British-American designer Harris Reed’s now-expired Instagram Stories, where Reed had written: “I’m not one to post things about brands ripping off brands but to see H&M copying a young queer designer who works harder than anyone I know is truly disgusting.”

Lo is known for his textured spiky knitwear designs reminiscent of the durian fruit, which have been seen on celebrities including Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa. In Doja Cat and SZA’s “Kiss Me More” music video, which has racked up more than 331 million views on YouTube, the singers can also be seen wearing Lo’s custom spiky bodysuits. 

His unisex garments and accessories run from around $200 for a swim cap to $6,290 for an extra-large bag. 

In his Instagram post, Lo added: “Each piece ordered through my website is hand-knitted with love and care and not mass-produced just to make profits. I believe in working in an ethical and beautiful way, which I hope my clients and you all can appreciate.”

H&M did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Fast fashion brands have been accused numerous times before for copying runway designs, which allows them to have new pieces ready to hit the shelves very quickly.

Spanish brand Mango for example, has been accused of ripping off Gucci designs in the past, while Forever 21 has been accused of stealing designs from the likes of Anna Sui and Diane von Furstenberg, per India’s The Economic Times.

Last year, Nigerian crochet clothing brand Elexiay accused Chinese company Shein of copying one of its sweater designs featuring a cross-body pattern and long sleeves.

A post shared by Elexiay (@elexiay)