Dolce & Gabbana accused of stealing jewel headphone design from Adriana Duque

Florida cops hunt for naked female Spring Breaker who 'may be in danger' after photos of her trying to flee crowd of shirtless men surfaced on social media
'I am a survivor of rape, sexual assault and incest': Actress Ashley Judd bravely tells of teenage abuse as she hits back at Twitter trolls
'There was a lot of sighing and tutting': Simon Cowell hits out at 'grumpy' airline passenger who complained about baby Eric on long-haul flight
Revealed: The astute investments that helped ex-janitor, 92, who used safety pins to hold together his clothes build a secret stock portfolio worth $8million when he died
Up to 32million could be hit by snowstorm across the northeast on the first day of spring
Obama FINALLY calls Netanyahu two days after sweeping re-election victory as Israeli leader extends olive branch over Iran and says he wants 'peaceful two-state solution' with Palestinians
The photographs that are too upsetting to keep: Artist collects images that members of the public don't want - but the dark secret of each remains untold
Camilla wears stunning pearl and gem necklace, as Charles gives his pearls of wisdom: Royals say goodbye to Washington as they head to Kentucky for last day of tour
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo's youngest daughter, briefly hospitalized after being found unconscious at home
FBI investigates possible lynching after convicted murderer is found hanging from a tree in Mississippi
Boko Haram fighters slaughter dozens of their 'wives' who had been kidnapped and forced to marry them because they feared they would be freed and marry 'infidels'
I've lost one: Paramedic shares heart-breaking picture of dedicated ER doctor whose young patient had just died
Facelifts in California, DNA tests in Tennessee, prostitutes in Nevada and abortion in Florida: Google map reveals the most searched for goods and services in each state
Grumpy and lethargic with a low libido. How YOUR man may have hit the male menopause
Is this the most ridiculous royal baby story so far? Magazines claim the Duchess of Cambridge has already given birth (but surprise, surprise, she hasn't)
American Apparel starts airbrushing out pubic hair and nipples from lingerie models in attempt to make racy brand 'less pornographic'
Shocking moment passers-by refused to help fatally injured South African man who burst into flames while stealing copper wires from an electricity substation
'Less attractive men are more polite, more likely to seek relationships and less likely to send naked photos' - One woman swipes right to EVERY man on Tinder for a week
Remains found in Ground Zero rubble confirmed through DNA testing to be 26-year-old bank technology executive
Robert Durst is NOT linked to 1997 disappearance of 18-year-old student in Oakland, police say
'I was the most humiliated person in the world': Monica Lewinsky on overcoming the 'traumatic' public reaction to her affair with former US President Bill Clinton
The bracelet that could prevent car crashes: AdvicyDrive tracks heart rate and rings an alarm when you start to nod off at the wheel
PICTURED: Seven-months pregnant woman whose baby was 'expertly cut from her womb by a former nurse's aide' after she responded to an ad on Craigslist
EXCLUSIVE - A Bunga Bunga girl, Berlusconi, 'bribes' and a bombshell interview: Ex-model claims she DID see former Italian PM have sex with underage hooker... and reveals what went on at those infamous parties with 'Satan'

D&G's pearl encrusted earphones created a stir at Milan Fashion Week
Move has sparked anger from Columbian artist Adriana Duque
The 46-year-old says the designs are based on her photos taken in 2011
Bogota-based Adriana's laywer told El Tiempo it's a case of copyright theft

Published: 12:30 EST, 19 March 2015 | Updated: 05:21 EST, 20 March 2015

105

View
comments

A Colombian artist is suing Dolce & Gabbana after claiming they stole her idea when they created what was billed as the world's swankiest headphones.

Colombian artist Adriana Duque, 46, said she was shocked when she spotted pictures of the Dolce & Gabbana headphones being advertised on the side of a taxi.

The headphones had caused a sensation when they were unveiled during the fashion house's recent autumn/winter 2015 show during Milan Fashion Week.

Scroll down for video

Adriana Duque says her 2011 photographs (one of which is pictured above) featuring jewel-encrusted headphones were the inspiration for Dolce & Gabbana's catwalk pieces

They are being sold for around £4,600, with the company saying they wanted to take music to the next level.

The headphones worn by the models are made of leather and are fully covered in the brand’s signature jewellery, embellished with materials like pearls, gold chains, Swarovski crystals and velvet across the earpieces and bridge.

The headphones were supposed to be just for the catwalk, but were so popular they are now available after the Dolce & Gabbana collaborated with Tech brand Frends.

Frends confirmed that two of the original catwalk versions have officially landed on American online retailer Moda Operandi and are ready to pre-order for expected delivery between July and October.

D&G models wear jeweled headphones at Milan Fashion Week

The Dolce & Gabbana headphones featuring gems and jewellery created a stir at the Milan Fashion Week

Since Frends was founded in 2006 by a young group of pro-snowboarders, the brand's minimalist designs have become a favourite in the fashion world.

Now by collaborating with the king of bling, the company has taken it's fashion designs to a whole new level.

But the artist, from the Colombian capital Bogota, claims that the designs are clearly based on a series of photographs entitled 'Icons' and 'Icons II' that she had taken, where kids and women are pictured wearing headphones made with precious stones.

A side view of the Dolce & Gabbana headphones (left) and Adriana Duque's on the right

She said: 'I looked at the designs that were on display on the catwalk and realised they were uncannily similar to my own from the pictures I took in 2011.'

According to the artist’s lawyer, in an interview with the newspaper El Tiempo, the work of Duque inspired Dolce & Gabanna, and the firm is guilty of copyright theft.

Duque said: 'It is one thing to be inspired by the work of others, but it is another thing to simply copy someone else's work and then not to admit it because this is plagiarism and cannot be accepted.'

Dolce and Gabbana declined to comment about the issue.

It is has been a busy week for the fashion brand after one of its designers, Domenico Dolce, attracted worldwide criticism after saying babies born through IVF were 'synthetic'.