TikTok star and host, Wesley Kesse is back in the news again in another case of plagiarism after donning an outfit at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards that bears a striking resemblance to Black Panther star Letitia Wright’s red carpet look for the Black Panther, Wakanda Forever premiere.
Kesse’s outfit consisted of a black encrusted suit with a high-necked shirt, which many social media users claimed was nearly identical to the outfit worn by Wright at the Wakanda Forever world premiere
According to Vogue Magazine, the embellished Alexander McQueen suiting was a ‘nod’ to the late Chadwick Boseman who wore a similar Givenchy suit to the Oscars in 2018, curated by her stylist Shiona Turini.
The accusations of plagiarism quickly spread across social media platforms including Snapchat, with some users accusing Kesse of lacking originality and creativity.
Others, however, came to his defence, pointing out that fashion is often inspired by past designs and that Kesse had put his own unique spin on the outfit.
Despite the backlash, Kesse defended his outfit in a subtle shade to his detractors with his caption, “Everybody be cool, this is fashion robbery!”
The controversy surrounding Kesse’s outfit has once again brought to the forefront the issue of cultural appropriation and plagiarism in fashion as he was also accused by Nigerian actor and former BBA winner, UTI of stealing his concept for his birthday photo shoot in April.
While it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of other cultures to the world of fashion, it is equally important to ensure that those contributions are recognized and credited appropriately.