Inspired or otherwise? Poonam Bhagat creates exact prints of Picasso’s iconic series of ink dot constellation into her A/W 2015 Collection: Is this ethical?

Fashion designers (Read: The Creative Class) of all kinds rely on inspiration for their work in order to bring in something new and innovative. However, if an inspiration restricts creativity and one creates the exact replica of an inspiration without any newness, then there is a serious problem. As a creative professional, one should make a conscious effort to find his/her unique interpretation of an inspiration. I believe, it is very important for a creative person to be inspired, but inspiration should not be a literal interpretation and replication of the already existing work. One should use inspiration and build on it, create something totally new, and leave something behind that has the potential to inspire the rest.