Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

A Familiar Sight at Patricia Field

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UPDATE OCTOBER 17, 2012: I’m currently trying to trace back the knockoff rings to the original wholesaler because, as I suspected, Patricia Field’s team bought the design from another source. Patricia Field has removed the rings from its website.

I figured the Topshop copy of my signature swear rings would open the floodgates for more knockoffs of that design, and I was right. Patricia Field (the stylist for Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada and Ugly Betty) has a ring set on her website that’s even closer to my original than Topshop’s. Check out the serif details on Patricia Field’s “F” ring.

Currently on the Patricia Field website. Thanks to Melissa for the tip.

Now look at my rings.  (The work of trademarking my font is underway, FYI!)

The original and the best (and the only ones in sterling silver!) are available on my website. Click to purchase.

I was grateful in 2010 when Pat Field used my Cleopatra earrings in the second Sex and the City movie. Ironically, my swear rings were also in the lookbook I sent her at that time. If she liked the ring style so much, she could have featured the design in the movie two years ago — and given me some credit — before Topshop beat her to it! Plenty of other people had the good taste to recognize the coolness of my work that year, including the lively stranger in the photos below, who insisted on doing a whole shoot with the rings at the Independent Fashion Bloggers conference that February. I recently stumbled across these photos on an old memory card and had a good laugh. If you’re the woman who licked me on camera, please identify yourself. I feel like I should buy you breakfast or something.

Pose #1 (keep scrolling down!)

Pose #2 (keep scrolling).

Pose #3 (BWAH!)

My rings are made from sterling silver, so I’m confident that this bad-ass chick hasn’t suffered from cadmium poisoning. I can’t speak for the safety of any imitations!

UPDATED AGAIN TO ADD: Even though the pictures of me in the dollar dress and the swear ring are a couple of years old, I had to add them to Not Dead Yet Style‘s Visible Monday post. I mean, you can’t get much more visible than this! Check out the rest of the Visible Monday contributions here.

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Comments

  9. Total sleaze. Same thing happened recently with some of my husband’s music.
    At least you know you’ve got the creativity, while they’re just creatively bankrupt vampires. Let’s get a stake, shall we?

  10. Fucking unbelievable. I wonder about the meeting: “This great designer sent us these rings. Aren’t they fabulous? Let’s rip her off and make the exact same ones. Heehee she’ll never notice!”

    😛

    Christine

  11. total “lack of respect” You would think that if you had worked together in the past (cleopatra earrings)there would be some respect towards both you and your rings. So wrong.
    Marti

  14. Unbelievable. That’s a good word with which to start. How about F**KING C**T as another two words to describe PF and those like her. I’m so angry for you, Ms. WB, that I’m sputtering in writing!!

  19. Ah Wendy that must suck – I hope you get the copyright sorted on your designs but it must be damn hard to keep track of every incident regardless. Anyhow, geat dollar bill dress!

  20. With the great search engines available on the internet I don’t think there is much excuse for anyone not to realize that the rings they are selling are copies of your rings.

    I worked with someone who used to say it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. I guess they figure whatever money they get before they get caught is worth it. Sad commentary on our society, isn’t it?

    So much designer jewelry is downright copied. Go out and google David Yurman replica and you will be shocked. They even put the Yurman stamp on it to make it look real.

  22. This makes me ill. Trademark issues brought so much anguish to my business and life in the past and I felt totally helpless. I can relate to what you are going through. These slimy types have no conscience. They are driven by the dollar and don’t think about who they step on along the way. I can’t believe they copied the FONT! Total nerve!!!!! I HATE FAKES! I wouldn’t pay a dime for that toxic knock-off garbage. And I can’t wait to get my real deal SRSLY necklace. 🙂

  24. This is horrid, so sorry you have to go through it. AGAIN. Unfortunately Pat has been known to do this. I say go after her, after all she knew where they came from and had access to ordering. XXX
    PS Went to the site, your rings aren’t there anymore, she must have got wind of this. I bet she’s still selling them in her shop though.

    • Ooh, interesting, thanks for checking. My publicist is in touch with them, so they definitely know. Now I am trying to trace it back to the source. I’m starting to imagine myself visiting some factory in China to give them a piece of my mind!

  27. I’m glad to know Patricia Field removed those knockoffs from her site. If only she’d replace them with your product. Forgive me if I’m late to this party.