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Clothing brand Almirah has issued an apology for using several artists’ work without proper credit — or, as one of the artists has pointed out, compensation — as part of its recent Tales of Heritage collection.

The apology came in the form of a statement posted to the brand’s official Instagram page on Wednesday, in which Almirah said it was ‘inspired’ by the designs of the three designers who called the brand out on social media.

The plagiarism occurred in the form of patches attached to various garments in both the men’s and women’s sections of the Almirah website. Several pictures were also posted to the brand’s official Instagram page.

“For over 14 years, Almirah has proudly worked with integrity to celebrate Pakistan’s art, culture and heritage. Our mission has always been to create with respect, authenticity, and an unwavering commitment to showcasing the richness of our country. With our recent Tales of Heritage collection, we set out to honour Pakistan’s hidden treasures and cultural gems that often go unnoticed. During the design process, some artworks were used as inspiration and incorporated without proper identification of or credit to their original creators. This was an unintentional oversight, and we take full responsibility for it,” read the statement.

“We would like to sincerely acknowledge and credit the incredible artists whose work was part of this journey. Their creativity, passion and contribution to Pakistan’s cultural landscape are invaluable and we deeply regret that they were not recognised from the outset.”

In another post the brand shared images of the plagiarised images, adding they were “proud to credit the artists tagged here for their remarkable creativity and we also acknowledge the ownership of any other creators whose work may have contributed to this vision”. It also tagged the three artists’ Instagram pages — Youtoonify, Throughwasfa and Rawazhammas.

The brand said it is “committed to learning from this experience, improving our processes, and continuing to support and uplift Pakistan’s artist community, as we always have and always will”.

This belated acknowledgment came after the brand was called out by the three creators for plagiarising their work. Many other creatives rallied behind them through their own posts as well as in the comment sections of their posts.

Designer Wasfa Kamal, who posts on her page Throughwasfa, called on the brand to have “some originality in your designs instead of stealing other artist’s work”. In her post, she shared the similarities between her work and the patches included on the Almirah clothes.

“We keep ripping off real artists instead of making our own work. Almirahpk has blatantly copied and used my work along with my fellow artist in their new collection without any consent. Pathetic,” she wrote. She also highlighted that just because something was on Pinterest on Google, doesn’t mean brands can add it into their collection.

In an Instagram story in response to Almirah’s apology, she said, “Credit is not a substitute for compensation. Our work holds value, and when it contributes to your collection, that value must be honoured through fair payment, not just public acknowledgement”.

Rawaz Hammas, whose work focuses on Urdu writing and calligraphy, called it ’heartbreaking“ to see his original design used by Almirah, a brand that he described as “driven by Islamic values”, in their new collection without his permission or credit.

“My career has been dedicated to Urdu calligraphy and teaching its beauty, preserving our cultural heritage through ethical design. Using someone’s work without consent is a violation of creative rights. I believe in working halal and ethically giving credit where it’s due. This reflects the opposite.”

Bakhtawar Hasan, who shares her design work on her page Youtoonify, posted a cheeky video on how to draw your own design. Addressed to “whom it may concern”, she said there were two options for a design — hire a designer or “learn how to design, and well… design!”

“Don’t just keep these tips saved in your Almirah! Apply them!” she wrote in her caption.

Their calls for credit were echoed by many others online, including fashion blogger Aamir Ali Shah, who posts on his page Aamiriat.

Others on X also highlighted the plagiarism.

This is not the first instance of plagiarism by a big brand. Designers Ali Xeeshan and Hussain Rehar have been hit with plagiarism accusations in the past, both of which they denied, and Maria B has apologised for the “unintentional oversight” of plagiarising a Turkish artist’s work.