Laura Spoya wore the dress to her wedding.
Peruvian beauty queen Laura Spoya is being criticized for ripping off a dress by Filipino designer Mark Bumgarner. On February 9, 2017, Spoya and her then-fiancé, Brian Rullan, wed in a civil ceremony in Acapulco, Mexico, during which she wore a white tea-length dress bearing an uncanny resemblance to one of Bumgarner's designs. The couple followed it up with a church wedding, as is customary in Peruvian tradition.
The plagiarism news has been causing quite the uproar on social media, after the designer left some telling comments on a Facebook account. Bumgarner wrote, "Bad copy of my design," and added that Spoya "wanted to order this from me, we were talking for a long time. Then she said the wedding is cancelled for some reason. Then I saw these photos on Instagram."
The design in question is the Clover, a high-neck halter midi dress with an oversized bow in the back. Bumgarner presented it last July, as part of his 2016 bridal collection.
In the comparison collage below, you can see how Spoya's bridal look is an exact imitation of the one by Bumgarner. Everything, down to the swooping ribbon, is the same.
The Clover is a celebrity favorite. Heart Evangelista, Bumgarner's muse, had a version in black custom-made for her sister's wedding.
Jodi Sta. Maria wore it for a magazine editorial.
Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa also chose the Clover in blush while competing for the crown in Tokyo, Japan.
This isn't the first time Laura Spoya has caught the ire of people. Spoya represented her country at Miss Universe 2015, but failed to earn a place in the competition. After Pia Wurtzbach was named Miss Universe in December 2015, Spoya showed her support for Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez by saying in an interview, "For all of us and I think for most people, Miss Colombia is Miss Universe."
Spoya also trended on Twitter, after netizens claimed she told Wurtzbach to "step back" when Wurtzbach attempted to console Gutierrez after learning she lost the crown.
Cosmo.ph has reached out to Bumgarner and is awaiting his response. Stay tuned for updates!