'People should boycott everything about you': Athleisure startup CEO rips into rival brand for allegedly copying its legging design
- Bandier launched its new private-label collection, "We Over Me," last week.
- Customers claim it is strikingly similar in appearance to leggings made by Outdoor Voices, a rival athleisure company.
- Outdoor Voices' founder and CEO, Tyler Haney, called out Bandier in a story on Instagram.
Athleisure fans across the US are up in arms.
This weekend, Bandier, an activewear retailer that stocks multiple brands, launched a private-label collection called "We Over Me" online, in five of its stores, and on Net-A-Porter.
The collection ranges from $68 for tops up to $105 for full-length leggings.
But the launch didn't get quite the fanfare the brand had hoped for as many customers turned to social media to express disdain for the collection, claiming it was far too similar to some of the products sold at Outdoor Voices, an outdoor clothing company based in Austin.
"Embarrassing rip off of @outdoorvoices," one Instagram commenter wrote on Bandier's post.
Outdoor Voices founder Tyler Haney then responded in an Instagram story.
"Each style in @bandier's 'new' line is a rip off of an OV style. What kind of brand is WeMe @bandier? Embarrassed for you. People should boycott everything about you," Haney said on Instagram, according to Racked.
Haney was subsequently blocked by Bandier's Instagram account, sending consumers into an even bigger frenzy.
"Y'all suck for copying @outdoorvoices for real and for blocking their founder @ty_haney," one Instagram user wrote.
Some customers have defended Bandier, claiming that Outdoor Voices doesn't have exclusivity to this style of leggings.
"@outdoorvoices weren't the first ones and aren't the only ones to have color block leggings. Many companies have similar color block leggings! People need to stop being such haters!" one Instagram user said.
The CEO of Bandier, Neil Boyarsky, said that the brand's new collection has a unique fabric and fit.
"Tyler Haney has built an amazing business and we admire and respect her, from one female-founded business to another. However, she has decided to attack BANDIER, as well as our customers and supporters with unsubstantiated claims that have hurt many people," he said in a statement to the press.
Outdoor Voices did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment.
The Future of Retail 2018 by the BI Intelligence Research Team.
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