Mexican-American brand Equihua is accusing French label Marine Serre of stealing its designs. After the French brand showed its Spring/Summer 2019 collection on Tuesday, Equihua’s designer, Brenda Equihua, took to Instagram to denounce Serre for allegedly taking her famous prints, which are inspired by the beloved San Marcos blankets.
“This is not a trend. This is not hype. People’s lives are involved. Our cutters, sewers, mentors, pattern makers, our friends, and our community,” reads the Instagram post, which also called out other brands, such as Zara and H&M, who have stolen from Mexican designers and Indigenous communities in the past.
Equihua, which Vogue featured earlier this month, also insinuates that coverage of the brand may have led Serre to draw inspiration from the Latina-owned business. “This was on Vogue for two weeks and by the looks of it @marineserre_official definitely saw it,” wrote designer Brenda Equihua, who’s based in Los Angeles. “You can’t bully me.”
For Brenda and her followers, the San Marcos blankets aren’t just about making a stylish statement, they are about celebrating their Mexican identity. San Marcos blankets – thick, plush cobijas, mostly found draped over the couch or beds in Mexican and Chicano homes – are dear to her customers. They often message the designer to tell her how important the pieces are to them. San Marcos blankets have intricate designs of flowers and religious figures that have served as inspiration to Equihua’s line, which is full of plush hoodies and jackets. “That is a blanket that represents family and love and comfort, and it has very strong ties to Latino identity,” Brenda told Vogue.
Marine Serre, who’s a member of the French Federation of Couture, has not responded to allegations yet. Equihua, on the other hand, chose to tag prominent outlets like Vogue and Hypebeast. “I was raised by a strong Mexican mother y como dice el proverbio, ‘They tried to [bury] us. They didn’t know we were seeds,’” Equihua wrote at the end of her post.
