Girls' Generation Stage Outfits Under Attack For 'Style Plagiarism'

On December 26, Girls' Generation performed their hit single "Mr.Mr" at KBS' 2014 Gayo Daechukje, also known as the KBS Song Festival.

The group is gaining massive attention for the stage outfits they donned during the telecast. All eight members wore red, embellished high-waist shorts, over-sized, long-sleeve white dress shirts, black stilettos and dangling earrings. For their hair styles, the members had low and high ponytails with a polished gleam and for their beauty looks they relied on bold red lips.

A conversation between a curious netizen and the group's stylist is what has sparked interest in the outfits. On December 29, the conversation was posted on an online community board. In the discussion, the netizen asked, "Were SNSD's Gayo Festival Dolce and Gabbana outfits copied or is it an homage?" The stylist responded, "Of course, it was a homage. I have never even seen the clothes in person so how would I be able to copy it. I just liked the vibe of the clothes and thought the girls would look good in it so we centered the concept around that and did their hair and made them wear red lipstick. If it was so similar that some say it is a copy, I guess the labor of the stylist team manually creating the design all night is being complimented? I hope someday Dolce & Gabbana will sponsor us with clothes like they do with some pop stars~~"

According to the stylist, the outfits are an homage to Look #82 from Dolce & Gabbana's Spring 2015 RTW collection. The combination the Girls' Generation members wore can be seen below next to a side-by-side comparison of the original pieces.

Homages in fashion are a common occurrence. But netizens are wondering, where do you draw the line between inspiration and plagiarism? Dolce and Gabbana used bejeweled inserts and highly-intricate stitching designs as signatures for the Spring 2015 collection. In order to make a successful homage to another brand, designers often choose silhouettes, patterns and distinct designs that are reoccurring themes. Dolce and Gabbana began using the iconic golden-thread embroidery and vintage high-waste short design in the brand's Fall 2012 RTW collection. The brand's creative directors have recreated the iconic look based off the architecture and religious iconography of Sicily in every single collection since. You can see examples from other collections below.

However, netizens remain unconvinced that the stylist is simply paying homage. The top rated comment under the Nate article states, "She obviously copied it and she's only calling it an homage now that there's controversy over it. tsk tsk, she's garnering Soshi hate." To prove the plagiarism claim, netizens have begun compiling a list of other stage outfits worn by Girls' Generation that resemble designer pieces. Some of the examples are below.

Tiffany's "Holler" Stage Outfit Vs. Balmain Resort 2015 Collection

Hyoyeon's Girls and Peace Seoul Concert Outfit Vs. Katy Perry's Swarovski Diamonds Dress

What do you think, homage or plagiarism?

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About the Author: Elsa is the founder, head writer, and editor of KPopBreak.com. She's a coffee addict, K-pop enthusiast, fashion lover and one of the few remaining members of the Church of Kristianity.