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Farrell & Brown, Dublin

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  • 21-03-2008 5:41pm
    #1
    Linku
    Closed Accounts Posts: 667 ✭✭✭


    Anyone seen this shop in Dublin? Can't see anything about it online... It's attached to Blarney Wollen Mills on the Corner of Dawson St/Nassau St in the old Easons Hannahs building.

    Complete rip off of Abercrombie & Fitch in every way, from the almost pitch dark entrance to the store, to the layout & display, and the clothes design. Similar style in all clothing, especially the hoodies and tracksuits, even with the signature large labels...

    The interior and windows and decorated with black and white photos of people (like topless men!), identical to an Abercrombie Store.
    Their bags have these images too, and are designed exactly like the A&F ones with the thick grey roping.

    The 'Farrell & Brown' logo is almost identical looking to the A&F logo, it could even be the same font. They're using a horse instead of a moose too in a similar fashion, and some (fake) date (1823)


    I'm no fan of Abercrombie at all, but this plagiarism of every single aspect of their business is a joke, I don't expect this store to last long, they haven't really a leg to stand on in court! I'll try get some photos if I'm nearby soon....
    Tagged:


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    #2
    Raekwon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,535 ✭✭✭Raekwon


    I've never heard or seen this shop but it seems like this sort of thing is quite common here in Ireland. I started a thread a while ago about the 'fake' Diesel Store that is on the end of Grafton Street. Retailers seem to be getting away with murder over here!


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    #3
    Linku
    Closed Accounts Posts: 667 ✭✭✭Linku


    Just to add a photo of the bag (my sister bought something!)

    The side of the bag has the address www.farrellandbrown.com on it (no website available), and the domain address was registered to the Blarney Group.

    http://www.whois.net/whois_new.cgi?d=farrellandbrown&tld=com


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    #4
    Linku
    Closed Accounts Posts: 667 ✭✭✭Linku


    Raekwon wrote: »
    I've never heard or seen this shop but it seems like this sort of thing is quite common here in Ireland. I started a thread a while ago about the 'fake' Diesel Store that is on the end of Grafton Street. Retailers seem to be getting away with murder over here!

    They seem to get away with it because they registered the name for clothing in Ireland before Diesel Italy did, I'm sure Blarney will try pull the same sort of thing (Farrell & Brown are our family names or such) when the inevitable lawsuit starts!

    Edit:
    This history page on the Blarney site lists the date the original woollen mills was built as 1824, so I guess that's where the date comes from, no mention of the names though! And the clothing is tagged 'Dublin, Ireland'!


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    #5
    Raekwon
    Registered Users Posts: 4,535 ✭✭✭Raekwon


    Linku wrote: »
    They seem to get away with it because they registered the name for clothing in Ireland before Diesel Italy did, I'm sure Blarney will try pull the same sort of thing (Farrell & Brown are our family names or such) when the inevitable lawsuit starts!

    Diesel clothing was founded in Molvena, Italy in 1978 so any other clothing company who used the name Diesel would be in serious breach of an international copyright infringement. I serious doubt Diesel Ireland registered their brand name before the late 70's.

    There seems to be more loop holes in the law here then in a sailors knot, infact I think I will set-up a brand name call Guggi and sell designer handbags and clothes. I'd probably make millions here in Ireland and nobody would even bat an eyelid :rolleyes:


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    #6
    Gyalist
    Registered Users Posts: 2,537 ✭✭✭Gyalist


    Raekwon wrote: »
    Diesel clothing was founded in Molvena, Italy in 1978 so any other clothing company who used the name Diesel would be in serious breach of an international copyright infringement. I serious doubt Diesel Ireland registered their brand name before the late 70's.

    There seems to be more loop holes in the law here then in a sailors knot, infact I think I will set-up a brand name call Guggi and sell designer handbags and clothes. I'd probably make millions here in Ireland and nobody would even bat an eyelid :rolleyes:

    Not exactly correct. Your trademark has to registered worldwide. Copyright doesn't come into it as they aren't using the other brand's images or designs.

    For example, there is a well established LA-based streetwear label called FUCT. About 10 years ago the Motion Picture chain of stores started selling their clothing under the same brand. There was nothing that Fuct could do about it at the time, as they had only registered their name in the US. If the name had been registered worldwide, MP would not have been able to use that name.


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    #7
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    The thing about Diesel is that the logo is different, and the clothes are different to the actual Diesel line, and are priced cheeper (and less well made) than the big name.
    The same Irish Diesel is sold in Club Denimn too, but according to Diesel themselves, they do not want franchises in Ireland. The guy who owns the Irish Diesel is not hiding the fact that its not the international brand, and any one who knows anything about fashion, knows its fake.

    As for this new Farrell and Brown, A&F won't be happy, as they are in talks with DD centre management about opening an Irish flag ship store there. Its DD that don't want it.

    Does anyone know what the quality of the F&B stuff is like?


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    #8
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    I was in there today, and was seriously disapointed.
    Apart from the fact that "Dublin Ireland" was printed on everthing, the sizing was horrible and the prices were all over the place.
    The logo looks like a fat pony and none of the shop assistans spoke English.
    The lay out was horrible, with the dressing rooms being back by the entrance, not folling the flow of the store at all. There is now flow to the store at all infact, like in A&F there are links between rooms and the styles are consistant, but here things were just placed randomly all over the shop.
    If they were going for the A&F look, the quality should have been ALOT better, the shop assistants should have been hotter (hired as models as with A&F) and the general impact of the store should have been more convincing, not like a cheep Irish knock off.

    Thats my rant for the day....theres more, but my fingers are tired and the screen is hurting my eyes.:mad:


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    #9
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    i wonder will this shop make abercrombie not want to come to ireland???...I seriously hope not. I would love if there was an actual abercrombie store instead of all crappy stores selling fake crap, even if they did like double the prices like they did with the london store.
    This shop however could be okay, it is kinda ripping a&f off a little too much though. But then again its not actually pretending to be it like others.


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    #10
    Pythia
    Registered Users Posts: 7,469 ✭✭✭Pythia


    Abercrombie only opened their London store last year and it was the first non-North American store. I'd give it a while, it'll come eventually. You can order on their website for now.

    Must have a look at this new place, I work nearby.

    I'm still a bit Abercrombied out after my trip to NY in Jan.


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    #11
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    my cousin is coming to ireland in july and shes from san francisco, i seriously need to get talking to her to ask her to start buying stuff for me lol.


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    #12
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    aliqueenb wrote: »
    i wonder will this shop make abercrombie not want to come to ireland???...I seriously hope not. I would love if there was an actual abercrombie store instead of all crappy stores selling fake crap, even if they did like double the prices like they did with the london store.
    This shop however could be okay, it is kinda ripping a&f off a little too much though. But then again its not actually pretending to be it like others.

    Most of the stuff sold in other stores is actually the real thing, just ordered in and sold on by the owner/manager.
    You'll notice it tends not to appear in chain stores, and if you have a chat and build up a relationship with your shop assistant (which you should) they'll have no problem telling you that!


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    #13
    Morf3h
    Registered Users Posts: 480 ✭✭Morf3h


    This is extremely fascinating!

    A year or so ago, "Abercrombie" contacted a friend of mine, not sure how, about conducting market research in Dublin with regard to opening a new store here. They claimed they wanted to survey 15/16 year olds about buying habits and favourite shopping locations etc. The email came from a hotmail account and they claimed to have a bebo account (of which there are many related to A&F).

    Also, looking at the companies registration office website, F&B was registered by Blarney Woolen Mills, Cork in 2007.

    Intriguing to say the least!

    There are a few possible explanations (assuming that the store and website are linked):

    1. A&F sold trademarks/rights to this Terry McCarthy dude from Blarney Group who registered the domain farrellandbrown.com and set up a shop similar to A&F with a new name

    2. This McCarthy chap went to America, studied the A&F store, came back to Dublin and built/opened a total rip-off in the hope of filling a niche in the market here in Dublin (since many people can't make it to the States to buy A&F).

    3. It is, in fact, A&F acting under a different name opening their "Irish Version" of the brand.

    What you guys reckon?


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    #14
    innisfree
    Closed Accounts Posts: 199 ✭✭innisfree


    Morf3h wrote: »
    This is extremely fascinating!

    A year or so ago, "Abercrombie" contacted a friend of mine, not sure how, about conducting market research in Dublin with regard to opening a new store here. They claimed they wanted to survey 15/16 year olds about buying habits and favourite shopping locations etc. The email came from a hotmail account and they claimed to have a bebo account (of which there are many related to A&F).

    Also, looking at the companies registration office website, F&B was registered by Blarney Woolen Mills, Cork in 2007.

    Intriguing to say the least!

    There are a few possible explanations (assuming that the store and website are linked):

    1. A&F sold trademarks/rights to this Terry McCarthy dude from Blarney Group who registered the domain farrellandbrown.com and set up a shop similar to A&F with a new name

    2. This McCarthy chap went to America, studied the A&F store, came back to Dublin and built/opened a total rip-off in the hope of filling a niche in the market here in Dublin (since many people can't make it to the States to buy A&F).

    3. It is, in fact, A&F acting under a different name opening their "Irish Version" of the brand.

    What you guys reckon?

    I'd imagine it's the Blarney group emulating A&F and hoping to fill a niche. By the way, this Blarney group isn't some vague company, it's the well known Blarney Woolen Mills on Nassau Street who've moved just down the road to where Easons used to be. It only pisses me off because I love to see a bit of creativity in a business idea.

    I wish there was somebody posting here who worked with the shop who could let us know more. Let me see... no, there's only that person who registered just to tell us how great the shop is. Oh well.


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    #15
    speedboatchase
    Registered Users Posts: 5,779 ✭✭✭speedboatchase


    Or maybe Abercrombie is **** and you look like everybody else? A bit of creativity would work wonders


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    #16
    patrickmooney
    Registered Users Posts: 1,029 ✭✭✭patrickmooney


    Popped into the store today, it's A&F all over apart from the parfume smell. They'll get this soon, Inis Perhaps! Well think of our US visitors, they don't buy A&F in the states, but they will buy F&B here as (1) it looks like their US clothing and (2) it's clearly Irish, something they can not get at home. I think this store is more aimed at vistors than locals.


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    #17
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    shazpunk wrote: »
    Most of the stuff sold in other stores is actually the real thing, just ordered in and sold on by the owner/manager.
    You'll notice it tends not to appear in chain stores, and if you have a chat and build up a relationship with your shop assistant (which you should) they'll have no problem telling you that!
    mehh i don't believe that tbh, while some may be real i say the vast majority of items are fake. shops like the clothes line and deisgn edge stock items that i say is very fake.


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    #18
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    aliqueenb wrote: »
    mehh i don't believe that tbh, while some may be real i say the vast majority of items are fake. shops like the clothes line and deisgn edge stock items that i say is very fake.


    Never heard of thoes stores...where are they?

    I don't understand why anyone would go to the bother of tracking down fakes when it would be SOOOO much easier to just order it in and sell it on! Yeah, given a few years back when the A&F caze started, Abercrimbie popped up everywhere but not anymore.

    D4 teenagers can smell a fake anything a mile away, wouldnt try blind them lol


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    #19
    MIN2511
    Registered Users Posts: 5,398 ✭✭✭MIN2511


    Hmm noticed the shop the other day on my way home. Would check it out, not sure about the authenticity from Posts here...
    A&F any day any time for me though


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    #20
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    summer08 wrote: »
    I was in the new Farrell and Brown shop on Nassau St on Saturday and I loved it, its very different and a lot of work has been put into the planning of it. I think we should be delighted with this fab new brand here in Dublin and we should support our own.

    lets see.. 'different'....No, its an exact copy of an Abercrombie and Fitch store, most of us have seem them already. There is nothing orignal about it. Gone are the days when Irish people lived in the dark, and their only shopping trip was to the local store which stocked the latest in Aaron sweater fashion. We are just as up to date with Clothing as any of the know world leaders (Paris, London, Millan, New York), and to be quite honest I find it insulting to the Irish consumer.

    'alot of work has been put into the planning'.....has it? because it doesn't show. As I said in my earlier post, there is no flow to the store at all. Whoever merchandised the shop should be shot, and the designer should be too ashamed to show his/her face. There was no planning in the lay out (ie. fitting rooms at the wrong end, not a logical way to shop for anyone) the simple fact that the fitting rooms needed to be pointed out and the shop assistant had to direct me to them shows VERY poor planning. anyone with any knowldge of the retail industry could easly tell that this shop is a distaster. As for market research planning... HAHAHAHAHA, like it would take a Genius to come up with that gap in the market, and its quite obvious that Irish teenagers live in Abercrombie. There was no large scale launch/puplicity made available. The bags have a non exisitnat wed site, the shop assistants didn't even know how to fold clothes (I actually found this quite hilarious that it took 3 people to fold a t-shirt, that i then re-folded and placed on the correct shelf). I can see NO planning having gone into this.

    'suport our own'......the store is a petethic rip off of an internationaly renound brand. This is not 'our own', its a joke. I wonder how many Irish people were actually included in the making of the clothes? the running of the store? the building of the shop interier? the shipping? handelling? very few would be my guess. I think it is absolutly discracefull that somthing like this can be aloud happen In the heart of Dublin. I would be the first to do something about closing it down...anyone with me?


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    #21
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    Portlaoise and Kilkenny, in Carlow I think too. Was in design edge today and seen more crap, the hoodies aren't even abercrombie looking, they just look like the brand sponge with a different name, its disgusting. I felt like saying something to the shop person but I was too cowardly god damn it!


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    #22
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    ok well i could really only talk for the Dublin ones.

    are there tags to go with them? or logos on the inside? or on buttons etc?


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    #23
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    yeah they have tags, didn't check the buttons today but yeah usually there are. they still so fake though, i mean lol i look at the abercrombie website quite often and have never seen jumpers like that.


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    #24
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    The Abercrombie website only has a small amount of the collection they actually offer, and it tends to be at least half a season behind their shops.


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    #25
    xOxSinéadxOx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,604 ✭✭✭xOxSinéadxOx


    def fakes in design edge


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    #26
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    still though, the jumpers were yucky lol!...so hey you live in dublin, is that shop in malahide good, i seen pictures of it and i have to say it looks very cheap looking.


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    #27
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    Malahide is a bit out of the way for me lol! I'm a soundside gal :p
    So I dunno myself, but mmost of the places aorund the city centre sell the real stuff, shops as far out of the city as Terenure (and even Ballyfermot) are ordering and selling on. I wouldnt bother too much with them myself. If i want something ill pick it up in the states or order like. Its not as if the internet and a credt card are hard to use like!


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    #28
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    yeah yeah i agree, just got some shorts and flip flops from american eagle today :)


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    #29
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »
    def fakes in design edge
    so you have seen them ugggh rotten aren't they, wanna go and complain for me, i am too cowardly!


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    #30
    shazpunk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭shazpunk


    aliqueenb wrote: »
    yeah yeah i agree, just got some shorts and flip flops from american eagle today :)

    ordered or is somehere selling them?


    this has really gotten off the subject of Farrell and Brown


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    #31
    aliqueenb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 605 ✭✭✭aliqueenb


    shazpunk wrote: »
    ordered or is somehere selling them?


    this has really gotten off the subject of Farrell and Brown
    ordered, got it in the post today. ae is my favourite out of all those cos its not seen half as much in dublin!...
    and yes it has, oh well lol.


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