Villagers fume at 'theft' of their blouse design

Villagers in Vaideeni at the foot of Romania's Carpathian mountains are fuming at French luxury brand Louis Vuitton for "stealing" the design of their traditional blouse.

Maria Gioanca, 69, one of two dozen women who still hand sew the black-and-white garment in the village, said she "won't let the costume be stolen" for fancy beach wear.

Calls for luxury brands to acknowledge the inspirations of their designs have grown in recent years, as the fashion industry has been faced with accusations of cultural appropriation and exploiting the heritage of minority groups.

In Romania, activist group La Blouse Roumaine (the Romanian Blouse) has been asking brands since 2017 to come clean and credit the places of origin when their clothes are similar, or inspired by Romanian folk costumes.