A fashion designer has accused singer/actress Janelle Monaé of plagiarizing her design for her Grammy awards performance on Sunday night. Japanese-Italian designer Nange Magro says Janelle’s Grammy costumes look strikingly similar to her own creations.
Magro, who is famous for her latex ready-to-wear designs, posted images and a video on Instagram comparing her Kotodama Leotard design from 2015 with similar costumes worn by Janelle and her dancers on stage at the Grammys on Sunday.
Nange wrote a lengthy caption both praising and criticizing the eclectic star for copying her style.
“Amazing performance by Janelle at the Grammy’s. She and her dancers looked great,” Nange wrote on Instagram. “I’m deeply DISAPPOINTED, though, that their outfits looked so much like one of Dead Lotus Couture’s 2015 classic designs. I could’ve made it for them if they contacted me.”
She continued: “Nobody likes to see unauthorized copies of their original creations – be it in music, art or fashion. I am flattered to be an inspiration for this amazing artist, but not flattered that my original design has been blatantly imitated.”
Janelle works with stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn, who was responsible for her Grammys red carpet look, but it’s unclear whether she helped the star with her stage attire.
Photos by Kevin Winter and Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Address the costume designer… Janelle wasn’t drawing and sewing these outfits
Only thing they changed was the shoulders. A White collared shirt and a black latex leotard are pretty generic. It is office wear meets BDSM so I don’t know if Dead Lotus can claim all that.
but isn’t this the nature of fashion design? designers are constantly borrowing from past designs/designers????????
if this is a ‘thing’ someone needs to tell Allen B. Schwartz ’cause he’s BEEN recreating designer looks to make them more accessible to the masses… what am i missing?
I guess she’ll just stick to her black and white now.
Right! Back to the basics??
It’s almost identical. Flattering and disrespectful. We freak out when ppl do this to us. She’s getting the publicity she deserves and she’s smart to point it out. Either way, as many of you have said, it’s generic. The plastic material sh*t is being used everywhere. Anyway, good for them both.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9cf0e272ccb1482ecde53e92cb590541431647ba1c8e0c6b2b97d463badce00c.gif
Nothing about fashion is original and if that were so the black community would have more millionaires. The amount of fashion innovation that was started in the hood and ended up on runways is fact. This outfit looks similar to stuff found on Fashion Nova so I don’t know what her beef is.
atlantic/epic fraud; as usual…i guess bribing folks w/record label jobs won’t change or hide the fact they are massively unqualified to work in the entertainment business. serving & buying prostitutes is much easier than making sure cokehead prostitutes show up to work (ie concert/studio) on time & actually look ready for work..
oh well….outfit is ugly anyways,sooooo….moving along–>
She prolly brought photos of the other lady work and told her designer do it for her
Sorry this happened to the Japenese Italian lady. But I wanna know who designed the pussy lip pants. And they made an apperance at the awards too on Sunday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaYvlVR_BEc
Rubber corsets were certainly available from the beginning of the 1900’s. SO she didn’t start the ish. So have several seat kawsaki
it’s plenty of originality. EXPLOITATION & LACK OF EDUCATION is the real problem. If these runway brands thought that the black /under educated designers were educated& wealthy enough to sue their runway corporations to protect their designs, they wouldn’t imitate. but, in my management experience, fashion has the same problem as music when it comes to aspiring artists wanting the quick buck, pretty picture & unpaid/low paid exposure: they’d rather take a couple lines of coke & a party invite (maybe even in VIP too! *yippeee*) than take the time to protect & grow their brand & develop a high value brand, company & respect for it in both industries.
(*sarcastic* yippee! about the VIP invite)
But copying always happens in fashion…you can’t trademark an outfit I don’t think…and if you can she should have
I’m not moved
…I guess @DeadLotus learned why a lot of designers & brands refuse to work with American entertainers..specifically black/hiphop or related acts
The real news is that bow wow is retiring from rap!
I can’t wait until the next season of Project Runway begins.
Legally the shape of the garments cant be copyrighted but graphic elements applied to those articles can be…..Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands
Thank you! You gave me that little spark I needed today ; )
I’m hella weeeeaaaak…
Now so more than ever
does her design contain graphic elements?
? my work is done
The fake one is that Kim Kardashian says she hasn’t done any plastic surgery on her face.
to God b the glory
Okkkk with the case law ?
Not from what I can see so she’s good.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7fef1ff99dbe9618fe56e4fbb88b187156755e208b5aeea726c1ed6264ace0cc.gif
Kim Kardashian has psoriasis now and it’s all over her face and legs. She keeps posting it on her Instagram stories. She’s trying to cure it naturally.
I’m like that Autoimmune disease is from all that crap she been putting in her body. That Psoriasis about to do her in soon enough. She’ll be under the knife again.
Lolololo
Who?
again??? lol….
It’s on now. It’s an all-stars season…so all white.
Clothes are regurgitated all the time. What’s the issue?
I love that she ONLY wears black & white and seems to stay fresh all the time.
I don’t understand how copying clothes work. Seems like when i go shopping, i see similar versions of a certain style all the time. There might be on slight detail that’s off or a different fabric, but the styles are very similar.
REALLY?! Wow. What channel, days and time?
Lol
March 14th
It’s back on BRAVO! Whoop whoop!!
?????
But we’re still in February. What time and days does the current one come on? I guess is what I’m asking.
That Janelle Monae is one fine mother… (shut your mouth!) OWW!!!
Her music is trash now. Hollywood has really turned her out. Her attire at the Grammys was awful on stage. She once stated she don’t have to dress to show her body. Even her singing has changed. When you sell your soul…
Her music is trash now. Hollywood has really turned her out. Her attire at the Grammys was awful on stage. She once stated she don’t have to dress to show her body. Even her singing has changed. When you sell your soul…
Never saw what the hype was about to begin with, she very obviously has modeled herself as a female Prince. The few things I have heard of her music ; always was indicative of Prince’s music.
Early on she was incredible. Playing Orchestras, her vocals and style were powerful. Check out her early EPS and work that follows. She got the memo ? in Hollyweird to dress tacky uncover them buns and come on out. Lol. The music is just not her. She struggles to stay relevant.
As an actress she good. I say she commit to the later. Her music sucks now.
I cannot name ONE Janae song. Not one.
If she copied it, she should give the designer credit. At least Cardi did get a vintage piece and gave the designer credit.
I thought he did already!!! Isn’t that old news!!! The problem with guys like Bow Wow is they’ve bought into the hype of stardom. It’s tough. It’s hard work. Being a pretty young black male doesn’t open doors. I think he thinks he should be a superstar by now. The stress!!!
Ok I understand that.
Her eyebrows are gorgeous! She looks dam good by the way. Thats all I got
It was a fail anyway so…..
Tight Rope, Call the Law with OutKast, My favorite nothing,
Many Moons, albums Metropolis, The Audtion Album, The Archandroid album
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EZyyORSHbaE
Her whole concept has changed.
From vocals to vanity.
Lifetime Wednesdays 9EST
There is no current one
Yeah but how would this be Janelle’s fault?? Shouldn’t Nange be going after the person who duplicated her 2015 collection? ?????
Sorry I thought you were talking about the original not all-stars
Neva seen a FEmale with such a boney chest b 4.
Kawasaki ???
Be mad at the stylist
That use to be my show
Mine too. I kinda miss it. LOL
I do too
yep she sure did…i was so dissapointed. i really didnt think she would cave. I pray HER doesnt do the same.
LOL I want to like her as a musical artist I find her just so underwhelming…
Why don’t we see performers like Jaguar Wright, Shanice, Tamar Braxton, toni Braxton, Michelle Farrelle. Fantasia, People who can really SANG nope don’t get those real singers singing.
I love Janelle Monae as an artist. “Dirty Computer” was a masterpiece to me. I say take it up with the designer, not the artist who likely had no or little involvement in the design of the wardrobe.
thank you! always accusing the artist for clout when all she had to do was reach out to Janelle’s team to go over this info w the designer/stylist of the recreation
tightrope is bomb!!!! 1st song I heard when she flew onto my radar and never left was “Many Moons” LOVE that damn song and video