Jessica Johansen Bell, 28, launched Johansen in 2015 and was’ thrilled’ when Jenner, 27, started wearing her sections and posing in them electronically.
However, when the real star-turned-businesswoman dropped her fourth set from her fresh label Khy earlier this year, which featured twisted snugly akin to those created by Johansen Bell five years ago, she was left in complete disbelief.
In a now-viral TikTok video, she addressed the obvious similarities between her collection and Jenner’s in March, sharing a slideshow of her dresses side-by-side with Jenner’s fresh line.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail.com, she is now calling on the sun to apologize and said the multihyphenate needs to be “put in her place.”
‘I reached out to the Khy business when I saw this,’ she said. ‘I was like,” Take this down. My clients are really getting confused”. And it was getting worse day by day. It began to make me feel stressed out.
For a large-scale company to pull off for a smaller brand and sell it for such a small sum of money, “it just seems so socially wrong.” It devalues the entire company.
Her crew responded and said: “We innovated these patterns”. I told them: “You did not. This is crazy”. And that’s when I got ghosted. Entirely.
Jenner wore gowns that she sent to her in photos posted to her social media accounts, according to the architect, who described how she had sent them in 2018. She claimed Johansen Bell and Jenner’s artist also reached out ahead of the actor’s 21st day and that Jenner even contacted her on her big day.
‘In 2018, we sent a several patterns to her apartment, and she wore my clothes in 50 or so video… I was new in my company,’ she said. ‘ That kind of stock was a big expense for me at the time, so I was not sending it elsewhere. But I took advantage of it and accepted it.
‘So we just continued sending her artists clothing. We sent her a package in 2019 of the whole selection, so it had all the contorted rope styles that you see in her present selection.’
She continued: ‘ When she dropped this latest series I was getting all these DMs. We get tagged in her ancient thing all the time, so I just assumed it was outdated information.
I saw it, and I initially assumed it to be one of my garments. This is when I first realized. I went on her website, and I was just so surprised.
‘ At first I was flattered by her wearing my garments. She was the first major star to actually wear my clothing, just like I had other people who were famous. It was significant to me.
‘ But therefore when she ripped off my whole series – I stopped feeling flattered.’
In February, Jenner unveiled her black, white, and grey small and midi dresses, both with twisted straps like those Johansen Bell’s had.
Jenner’s dresses retail at $78 and $98, while Johansen Bell’s start at $190 (AUS$289).
She said, “I thought even if I put pressure on her publicly, she did stop.” She stopped sharing as little information.
It only “got much bigger than I thought it would be,” he said, “so I just knew it was going to be a big deal.” Because I wasn’t crazy. I could see it going crazy, but I couldn’t stop myself. I’m certainly mad, you know? But finally went but popular. It was like quite a lot.’
After cautious thought, Johansen Bell said that she is not going to pursue legal action- but she is demanding an explanation.
‘ There has been authorized conversation, but nothing is getting pursed,’ she said. ‘ It’s like it’s like a fine line between what you can brand. There are consumer laws that allow me to claim that she is stealing from my client base or that she is harming my brand popularity.
There are gaps and there are ways to get around them, but it’s for a nasty struggle and I’m not in the right place at the moment.
She continued: ‘I think she really attention more. It is just not reasonable. Instead of going quiet about it, she could have messaged me and said, “I am sorry”. She could have said, “Sad about this I see the commonalities”. An explanation is a long way.
I hope she learns something from this. She needs to be replaced. No one is very powerful for the people’s willpower. But she is now onto the next thing okay.
When contacted by Daily Mail.com, Khy denied Johansen Bell’s claims.
Jenner launched Khy in October 2023 and has since launched four series.
It wasn’t her first clothing venture, having co-founded the girl brand Kendall and Kylie with her girlfriend Kendall Jenner again in 2012.
She was afterwards propelled to businessman standing with her Kylie Cosmetics, which launched in 2014, and most just launched a perfume, Cosmic, and her own line of tough- alcohol Spritzers- Sprinter.
Speaking about Jenner’s numerous business ventures Johansen Bell said: ‘If you’re not true with what you’re promoting, it’s so clear to your client base. It does n’t matter who you are you can be Kylie Jenner and still not be successful.’
The Australian is not the first artist to chastise Jenner of stealing ideas.
Western designer Betsy Johnson, not to be confused with the British fashion custom Betsy Johnson, in the midst of Khy’s start.
‘We emailed Kylie and all her crew @products. international strategy and speech and a collection plate 6 MONTHS AGO,’ she wrote.
‘Engaging CONCEPT KYLIE: … INTERESTING. Thanks for the i- sign … F**k your assistance,’ she wrote.
The following quarter, in November 2023, Jenner was accused of Kanye West’s Yeezy set of Puffer coats.
Jenner made the announcement on Instagram that five different types of puffers would be available in metal blue, black, and rock shades beginning November 15.
‘Everybody acting like Kanye didn’t invent this whole look,’ wrote one person on Instagram.
Another added: ‘Today we know where all the Adidas/Yeezy unused items went.’
Aside from pattern fraud, Jenner has also been accused of’ perpetuating the rapid fashion industry with her dresses, tops, skirts, and shorts which are created from rather than green materials.
Of the of ‘slinky and soft’ mesh items, which was released on February 28, all are made of synthetics– such as spandex, nylon, polyester, or a combination.
Khy also features a first-ever product from the company made of Polyurethane (PU) leather, a plastic substance made of synthetic polymer.
The market for faux leather, or what has been renamed “leather,” was estimated at an eye-popping$ 35.4 billion last year, and is now contributing to a significant rise in the use of PU leather as a low-cost substitute in clothing.
The material, however, is not meant to last, is prone to cracking, and wears down more easily.
Jenner was for Khy’s use of cruelty- free, faux leather, despite the material’s not- so- eco- friendly plastic element.