Residents of the village of Vaideeni in the foothills of Romania's Carpathian Mountains are furious with French luxury brand Louis Vuitton for "stealing" the design of their traditional blouse, AFP reports.
Maria Gionca, 69, one of two dozen women who still hand-sew the black-and-white garment in the village, said she "will not allow the suit to be stolen" for fashionable beachwear.
Calls have grown in recent years for luxury brands to acknowledge the inspiration for their designs as the fashion industry faces accusations of cultural appropriation and exploiting the heritage of minority groups.
In Romania, the activist group La Blouse Roumaine (The Romanian Blouse) has since 2017 been asking brands to acknowledge and "recognise" places of origin when their clothes are similar to or inspired by Romanian folk costumes.
Dedicated to promoting the traditional "t.e." blouse-which is known to have inspired fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier and Kenzo-their complaints have yielded mixed results.