Forbes reports….
A breakout star from the 2020 Democratic National Convention was a silver necklace spelling the word “vote,” worn by former first lady Michelle Obama and designed by Jamaican-born Chari Cuthbert of BY CHARI—but what appears to be an identical copy is being sold by ecommerce jewelry retailer Mint & Lily and marketed with Obama’s photo, and Cuthbert is threatening legal action against the company and others duplicating her design.
The necklace went viral on social media after Obama’s August 17 DNC speech, and Cuthbert previously told Forbes that she was immediately overwhelmed with orders and press inquiries.
Mint & Lily, a San Francisco-based jewelry ecommerce website that the Better Business Bureau rated with an ‘F,’ seems to be capitalizing on the necklace’s virality, and is selling their own version that appears to be an identical copy of Cuthbert’s, which she told Forbes is “terribly disheartening.”
The Mint & Lily version sells for $30 to $40 (marked down from $80) while BY CHARI’s necklace runs between $300 to $1,000, depending on the length and size of letters selected by the customer.
Dozens of imitations are also available to buy on online handmade marketplace Etsy, with many using a photo of Obama wearing Cuthbert’s design, and the site says it will remove listings that infringe on intellectual property if it receives complaints.
See full story at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/09/03/designer-of-michelle-obama-vote-necklace-threatens-legal-action-over-knockoffs/#6423d38661cc
