A Jersey-born entrepreneur has sparked global conversation about how small designers are treated in the fashion industry after her dispute involving pop star Zara Larsson unexpectedly went viral.
Amelia Godel started her jewellery brand ‘Jewelz by Mealz’ around five years ago whilst living in Jersey.
Last week, the former Beaulieu student’s social media posts detailing an eight-month ordeal with a stylist working for chart-topping artist Zara Larsson were viewed by millions.
But Amelia, who now lives in Berlin, told Express that the wider issue goes far beyond one incident…
“I was shocked by the amount of attention it got”
The 25-year-old explained that she initially sent a selection of handmade pieces – five necklaces and eight headbands – to a stylist for potential use in tour looks and public appearances.
“The team had them for eight months and they were not used,” she said.
When the stylist later requested additional items for Zara Larsson to wear at Coachella festival, Amelia claimed she was told there was “no budget” and that she would need to cover express-shipping costs to the United States herself.
As a small business owner, she was unable to afford the last-minute expense, so she instead asked for the original pieces to be returned so she could resell or repurpose them.
However, Amelia alleged that the stylist refused – claiming the items had been added to the singer’s personal wardrobe.
“Giving them away to become Zara’s personal belongings was never agreed,” she said. “No stylist I’ve worked with has ever operated on this basis.”
The pieces were valued at more than £500 and had taken Amelia days to create by hand.
“If they had been worn somewhere, it would have at least been partially worth it,” she said.
After receiving no response from the stylist directly, Amelia shared her experience online.
The posts quickly gained traction, with more than 2.5 million views on TikTok at the time of writing.
“I definitely didn’t expect the video to go so viral,” admitted Amelia.
“Although I wanted to open up a conversation and hoped to come to a resolution with the team as a result of posting it, I was shocked by the amount of attention it got.
“There were a lot of hate comments, and a lot of people not understanding how these situations often work, so the story ended up being misconstrued and twisted a bit, which is often the case with viral things.
“But I also had so many supportive comments, and many other designers thanked me for speaking up about something that affects so many of us.”
Some viewers took it upon themselves to tag Zara Larsson in the video, which ultimately resulted in the Swedish singer contacting Amelia privately.
“She explained she had never seen the pieces, contradicting what the stylist had told me,” said Amelia.
“She organised for my pieces to be found and sent back to me, and even purchased something from my website herself.”
“Exposure doesn’t pay the bills”
But while the Zara Larsson dispute has now been resolved, Amelia believes it highlighted a systemic issue facing independent designers around the world.
Within fashion, it is common for small brands to loan products to stylists in the hope of exposure if worn by high-profile figures.
However, Amelia said this often comes at a financial loss.
“I have done this many times, often losing money myself as they rarely even cover shipping costs, and it had never brought any meaningful exposure to my brand,” she said, adding that “exposure doesn’t pay the bills”.
After speaking out online, Amelia received messages from more than 20 designers who claimed to have had similar experiences – including with the same stylist.
“It saddens me that small designers are so often put in this position,” she said.
“Everybody wants to gain from the innovation and skill of small designers, but they don’t want to pay them fairly.”
The jewellery business owner added: “In other industries, we don’t expect people to work for free – we pay them based on their time and skill.
“Why should the fashion industry be any different?”
Protecting small businesses
Amelia is now urging other small business owners to take greater precautions when entering collaborations.
“Always use contracts in these situations,” she said. “I learned that the hard way.
“Now I know that making the terms more explicit would have saved me a lot of distress.
”I was just so excited at the possibility of my pieces being worn by Zara, I let this cloud my judgment.”
Amelia acknowledged that contracts are not always honoured, but said they provide a stronger basis for recourse.
She also advised designers to carefully consider offers involving unpaid work.
“If someone wants your work for free, without any guarantee of exposure, think twice about working with them,” she said.
Amelia instead encouraged creatives to focus on their existing customer base, and to work only with partners who “truly respect your art” and communicate clearly.
She also believes speaking out publicly can be a powerful tool.
“Other people will be able to avoid similar situations, and hopefully it acts as a deterrent,” she explained.
Amelia hopes her experience will prompt reflection within the industry, particularly among high-profile artists and their teams.
“Treat all designers the same, no matter how big the name is,” she urged stylists.
“A lot of people would do anything to have their clothes or accessories worn by a celebrity they look up to – and stylists know this and therefore take advantage of it.
“It would be a great opportunity for these celebrities to help showcase emerging talent and give back to the community that supports them – but they must treat them with the respect they deserve.”