Renowned Pakistani fashion designer Maria B has issued an apology after it was revealed that a design from her “Palestine Collection” had been copied from a Turkish artist.
In statements shared on both her official brand and personal Instagram accounts, Maria B acknowledged the plagiarism, admitting that the design was indeed taken from the Turkish artist’s work and expressing her regret for the mistake.
“In today’s fast-paced digital world, where images go viral quickly, such unintentional oversights can happen,” she wrote on Instagram.
Maria B apologized for the copied design and mentioned that she has reached out to the Turkish artist to offer a personal apology. She also announced plans to collaborate with the artist on the Palestine Collection to raise funds for Palestinians.
In her statement, Maria B also addressed criticism from some individuals, claiming that certain “liberal” voices have opposed her efforts to support Palestine and have responded with mockery and criticism.
One of the designs featured the Palestine map with a boy cleverly merged into the pattern alongside the Palestine flag wrapped in olive branches.
This design caught the eye of artist Leena Ghani, who was quick to point out that it was stolen. Taking to her Instagram stories, she shared Maria B.’s campaign and tagged the page Palestine Quebec on Instagram, which had featured it.
The page confirmed that the design was originally belonged to Turkish artist Hacı Balina Atölye.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
