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The growing feud over two mysteriously identical Instagram accounts

Picture:
Picture:
Instagram / rclayton ; Instagram / jenniferlake

Getting into arguments with friends is normal.

But a very public Instagram feud where you slavishly copy everything your ex-mate does is not so standard.

There seems to be copying going on between the Rosie Clayton and Jennifer Lake, who runs fashion blog Style Charade, after the pair got into an argument.

After all, no one can shrug off this level of similarity as a remarkable coincidence.

But it is not clear who is at fault.

Many are accusing Clayton, who has 121k followers, rather than Lake, who has 152k.

Lake wrote a blog post to describe what has become a "really bad" plagiarism situation that started three years before. She wrote:

Someone has been using my Instagram account as a template for their own. 

This person has systematically copied my channel, captions, location concepts, and personal style for more than three years. 

I’m not talking about just a dress, a pose, a wall, etc. (although there’s that too). 

It’s about ongoing examples of copying (exact looks, images, and ideas). 

As a result, I’ve taken immense steps to try and evolve the look and feel of my Instagram account to further differentiate myself and push the creative boundaries. 

Every time I pivot into new territory, the individual does the same soon thereafter.

She went onto write that when someone copies you they: "steal your ideas", "rob you of money and campaigns" and "a small part of your creative soul dies inside".

Lake chose not to mention the plagiarist, but many suspect she is accusing her former friend Rosie Clayton.

But, as UNILADpointed out, Clayton posted this photo on November 12:

Whilst Lake wore the dress in a photo on November 30:

Likewise, Clayton posted this on October 25:

Whereas Lake shared this image on November 11:

However, it works the other way round too. Lake posted this on November 2:

And Clayton posted the same a week later:

Lake shared this on October 23:

And Clayton posted this on December 1:

Very confusing.

Speaking to UNILAD, Clayton said that the times the images were posted led her to being unfairly blamed:

My social platform is a reflection of my 16-year background in the fashion industry.

My images are planned, shopped, and created, on average, 30-120 days in advance in order to tell a cohesive colour story.

If, and only if, there is a new wall that compliments my current colour story, or a time-sensitive brand collaboration, will I include it in my grid at the time.

In other words, posted images are rarely taken the same week as when they go live on my channel.

You can see [my feed] has been organised by colour flow; I will not run out to a new wall simply to be the first to post it.

Although organising my feed by colour can be a challenge (there are so many wonderful photos I have to wait months to post), it’s also what sets my feed apart and something I’m happy to curate.

She continued:

I want my work to be judged based on merit, authenticity, and creative direction.

My original content is what has built my Instagram audience – not sensationalised headlines, leveraged connections, or calculated publicity stunts.

I work hard to curate my content and it has given me an incredible amount of joy and creative fulfillment over the past few years.

To have my hard-earned successes and name tarnished by these allegations is childish and petty.

It's a mystery for the modern world.

Imitation might not be the sincerest form of flattery after all.

HT UNILAD

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