We have been sitting on this story for a while, and now that it is in the news, it feels like the right time to talk about it.
In 2021, Shein copied one of our Wilde Mode designs. The blue leopard print with rainbow stripe detailing, a distinctive, original design that was very much ours. They reproduced it, sold it at a fraction of the price, and carried on as if nothing had happened. No credit, no contact, no compensation.
Here is the original Wilde Mode design:
And here is what Shein sold:
At first glance it looks like a straightforward case of print theft. But when you look closer, it goes much further than that.
What They Actually Stole
The Wilde Mode name is trademarked. The rainbow banding is part of our trademarked brand identity. Both were reproduced without permission.
But the thing that hurt the most, the thing that still makes us angry when we think about it, is the signature.
On the Wilde Mode waistband, you will see a signature woven into the branding. That signature is not just a design flourish. It is my grandfather's handwriting. His actual signature, which we digitised, trademarked, and made into the intellectual property at the heart of the Wilde Mode brand. It is deeply personal. It is irreplaceable. And Shein copied it.
A fast fashion giant, with all its resources and design teams, looked at our brand and decided to take not just the print, not just the colours, but the handwriting of someone's grandfather and put it on a mass-produced garment sold for a few pounds.
That is not an accident. That is not coincidence. That is theft.
The Courier covered our story at the time: Dundee designer Deborah Breen speaks out on Shein design theft — The Courier
Our Protected Intellectual Property
To be absolutely clear about what is legally protected: the following are registered trademarks and intellectual property belonging to Deborah Breen, founder of Wilde Mode and Designed By Debz:
- The Wilde Mode name — registered trademark, owned by Deborah Breen
- The rainbow banding design — registered trademark and distinctive brand identifier, owned by Deborah Breen
- The signature on the Wilde Mode band — my grandfather's handwriting, digitised and registered as trademarked intellectual property, owned by Deborah Breen
In 2021, the UK Intellectual Property Office featured Wilde Mode as a case study in IP protection for gender-inclusive fashion. You can read that article here: IP protected, gender-inclusive underwear that's Wilde — IPO Blog
We did everything right. We protected our work through the proper legal channels. And Shein copied it anyway.
The Irony That Followed
Fast forward to 2025, and Shein took Temu to court in the UK for copyright infringement over photos of clothing.
Let that sink in.
A company that built its business model on taking designs from small, independent creators had the audacity to pursue legal action against a competitor for doing something similar. The UK court saw through it. Shein lost.
You can read the full article here: Shein loses UK copyright lawsuit against rival Temu over photos of clothing
Why We Are Talking About This
We are not sharing this for sympathy. We are sharing it because this is the reality for small independent designers, and it happens constantly. Shein and fast fashion giants like them have industrialised design theft. They scrape social media, copy independent creators, and flood the market with cheap imitations before the original maker has even had a chance to build momentum.
When you buy from Designed By Debz, you are buying the original. You are buying something made to order, made with care, and made by a real person who put real thought and creativity into every print and every stitch. You are buying something that carries a piece of our family history in it.
That is something Shein cannot replicate, no matter how many designs they steal.
What You Can Do
The most powerful thing you can do as a consumer is choose where your money goes. Every purchase from an independent maker is a vote against the fast fashion machine. Share this post, tell your friends, and next time you are tempted by a suspiciously cheap version of something you have seen on a small brand, ask yourself where that design really came from.
Thank you for supporting us. It genuinely means everything.
