Pakistani fashion designer, Maria B. issued an apology, on August 20, for plagiarizing a Turkish artist’s work in her recent Palestine collection, describing the incident as an “unintentional oversight,” after she received a strong wave of backlash from the public as well as other designers.
She took to her Instagram stories to address the accusations, confirming that she had unknowingly featured the artist’s work in her designs.
“In this digital age of fast-paced information and viral images, such unintentional oversights can occur. We apologize for the oversight,” her statement read.
“We have contacted the artist, who is recognizing our work with empathy and grace and is willing to collaborate with us in our efforts for Gaza. She’s a young and talented artist, please support her work! @hacibalina,” she added.
The designer went on to criticize “liberals foaming at the mouth” for accusing her of what they perceived as blatant plagiarism.
“This is an inspired collection picking up images of resistance,” added Maria B., reiterating that she was not making a single penny from its sales. “Liberals try to take me down while I’m trying to help raise funds for Gaza. This is Pakistan. Do nothing yourself and tear down anyone who tries to do something, God is enough for me, I will never stop,” she said.
Backlash over Plagiarism
The apology came after significant backlash online. As reports of the plagiarism circulated, social media users, including Palestine Quebec and Leena Ghani, urged everyone to call out the designer and support the original artist.
One user commented, “While Palestinians are getting killed in the blink of an eye, Maria B thinks it’s the best time to start her modeling career by appropriating their culture. Her horrible clothes aren’t going to Free Palestine. She needs to be transparent about which charity she will be sending the proceeds to. No one is falling for this stunt. Shame on everyone involved in this campaign.”
“Instead of purchasing from this opportunist using Palestine for her own branding I would encourage people in the comments to purchase such things directly from Palestinians,” another user said.
Initially, Maria B. did not respond to the accusations. However, the issue gained traction when Atölye, the Turkish artist in question, shared a photo from Maria B.’s collection featuring her design with the caption, “My artwork in Pakistan.”
Controversial launch
The controversy centers around Maria B.’s recently launched capsule entitled “Palestine Collection” intended as a tribute to Palestine.
The collection includes T-shirts, two-piece, and three-piece lawns, with prints featuring the black and white keffiyeh, multicolored houndstooth patterns, and the watermelon — a symbol of Palestine’s resistance against Israel. T-shirts are embroidered with “Falasteen” written in Urdu and with the Palestinian map.
In an Instagram story Maria B. announced the launch of her new collection, saying “We had been discussing our Falasteen collection for a long time and when we finally got to work on it, I decided not to profit from it. So, if there is a suit that costs us Rs4,000 and we are selling it for Rs6,000, then aside from the profit, the Rs4000 (that went into the making) will also be donated to the cause by my organization. The entire sales of the collection will go to Falasteen.”
She added “For everyone who loves Falasteen, you will love this collection because there are small details in it that will remind you of Palestine.”
One particular design featured the Palestine map with a boy cleverly merged into the pattern, alongside the Palestine flag wrapped in olive branches. This design caught the attention of Leena Ghani, who quickly pointed out that it was stolen from the Turkish artist Hacı Balina Atölye. Ghani shared Maria B.’s campaign on Instagram, tagging the page Palestine Quebec, which confirmed the design’s original creator.
The artist, Hacı Balina Atölye, has now given her permission to use her design in the designer’s Palestine Collection.
While the gesture was meant to support a cause, it sparked a mixed response online, with some praising her efforts and others criticizing her for what they perceived as opportunism.