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Another Miley VMAs Controversy: Discount Universe

September 3, 2015 by WendyB

Nicki Minaj isn’t the only one with a beef after Miley Cyrus’s MTV Video Music Awards hosting gig.

When Miley ended Sunday’s show with a performance of her new song, “Dooo It!,” I got all excited about the costumes.

View image | gettyimages.com

I was positive the big eyes and sequins were the distinctive work of Australia’s Discount Universe. That would make sense, considering Miley has worn Discount Universe before.

A bralet by Di$count Universe. Click to shop.

A bralet by Di$count Universe. Click to shop.


I tweeted about it, hoping to confirm.

Are these Discount Universe costumes? #MTVVMAs #VMAs2015 #MileyVMAs #MileyCyrus

— WendyBrandes (@WendyBrandes) August 31, 2015

I wasn’t the only one ready to congratulate Discount Universe designers Nadia Napreychikov and Cami James. But congratulations weren’t warranted, as announced by Discount Universe on its Instagram.

At least we have YOU!!! ❤️❤️❤️

A photo posted by DI$COUNT UNIVER$E (@discountuniverse) on Aug 31, 2015 at 5:17am PDT

Turns out that the “Dooo It!” costumes were created by Miley’s stylist, Simone Harouche, and designer Brad “BCalla” Callahan. In an interview published on Yahoo!, Harouche went off, citing other influences — including Salvador Dali — and saying, “It’s very sad that people need to use Miley’s amazing performance as an opportunity to create press for themselves, when they had nothing to do with the creative process.” Um, WTF? Actually, Simone, you created the press by making costumes that the many people familiar with Discount Universe recognized as DU’s style, so that we all started reaching out to the Discount Universe designers. They had to say something in response!

Discount Universe made that point after Harrouche’s comments, again posting on Instagram:

“We aren’t ready to release an official statement but felt that this kind of thinking is way too dangerous to leave unaddressed. Prior to posting ANYTHING on social media we were inundated with interview requests and tags CONGRATULATING US for designing the finale looks of the VMA awards. To actually suggest that we ASKED for it is atrocious. No one ASKS to get hurt…”

By the way, according to this 2014 story, it was Harouche who bought Miley’s first Discount Universe piece from the DU website.

Discount Universe was represented — for real — at the VMAs by 87-year-old Instagram star Baddie Winkle.

View image | gettyimages.com

With that dress, Baddie would have fit right in on stage with Miley and her posse, no? Baddie was also wearing Discount Universe when she met Miley before the show.

Baddie’s Cyclops dress is available on Discount Universe’s website here. Her pre-show Dreams sweater is here. And, in the New Arrivals section, there are SUPER-CUTE sequined gym socks in a variety of colors (the site notes that these are fragile items so don’t actually wear them to the gym).

Click to purchase.

Click to purchase.

Those are like a cooler version of the sequined ankle warmers I wore for Halloween in 2013. Just the other day, I was thinking that I need to wear those again!

Click for original post.

Click for original post.

It’s all about sequined socks this fall … trust me!

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Filed Under: awards shows, Celebrities, Fashion Repeats Itself, great minds think alike, Miley Cyrus, MTV VMAs, rip-offs

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MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
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Original jewelry designs, photos and text are © Wendy Brandes 2007-2016. All rights reserved.

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