The navy-and-white cardigan is adorned with red spouting whales and sells for $47.90 at Forever 21. And according to a Richmond-based clothing company, it’s also a flagrant ripoff.
Brian Hirano of Granted Clothing, a family owned business on Voyageur Way, recently discovered the familiar-looking sweater while browsing through photos on Instagram.
“I said, ‘Oh that’s weird, it looks exactly like our design,’” he said.
He turned to the Forever 21 website and discovered the discount, American retailer was selling a second sweater that looked nearly identical to a Granted Clothing product.
“I was quite disappointed, to be honest with you. I’ve calmed down quite a bit since then, but it’s definitely not professional in any industry,” Hirano said.
Unlike the hand-knitted, wool sweaters produced at Granted’s shop, the Forever 21 versions are imported and made of an acrylic-wool blend and sell for a fraction of Granted’s $385 price tag.
