Danielle Bernstein, the founder of fashion brand WeWoreWhat, has acknowledged making mistakes in how she handled accusations that her designs copied those of smaller businesses. The 34-year-old influencer also admitted to previously editing her Instagram photos to change her body shape because of personal insecurities, although she said she now limits retouching to minor details.
In a new interview published this week, Bernstein addressed the controversies that have followed her transition from fashion blogger to businesswoman. 'I know I made mistakes,' she said, acknowledging that she had been defensive when confronted about similarities between her designs and those of other brands. Her comments come as WeWoreWhat undergoes a rebrand.
Bernstein Admits Editing Her Photos Out of Insecurity
Bernstein, who built her following through outfit photographs and personal-style content, has faced years of scrutiny over alleged digital alterations to her appearance. She acknowledged that insecurities had previously influenced how she edited her pictures. However, she maintained that the heavy editing belonged to an earlier period of her career.
The admission follows previous attempts to address her relationship with photo editing. In a 2021 interview, Bernstein said she had 'transitioned from heavy filtering and editing to just barely any colour correction'. She explained that she was increasingly photographing content on her iPhone and sharing it without the elaborate editing that had characterised her earlier posts.
The criticism has also extended beyond photographs to the pressures surrounding beauty and body image on social media. In 2020, Bernstein faced backlash after demonstrating how different lighting could change the appearance of cellulite in photographs. Although she presented the images as an example of how lighting affects appearance, some critics questioned the message being sent to her followers.
The Design Copying Allegations That Followed WeWoreWhat
Bernstein has also faced repeated accusations that WeWoreWhat reproduced designs associated with smaller fashion businesses. In 2018, jewellery brand Foundrae publicly criticised similarities between its pieces and jewellery from Bernstein's collaboration with Lulu DK for Nordstrom. The retailer subsequently confirmed that it had worked with the parties involved to remove the disputed pieces.
One of the most significant disputes involved lingerie brand The Great Eros, which accused WeWoreWhat of using a design similar to its signature print featuring line drawings of nude women. The disagreement resulted in litigation in 2020, with Bernstein and her business disputing the infringement allegations. The parties ultimately ended their legal proceedings in March 2022 following a confidential settlement, without a court ruling establishing copyright infringement.
Danielle Bernstein is copying the Great Eros again!So horrible. She is copying their infinity top, see below although there are many ways of styling it. DBβs copy looks horrendousβ¦ I own the OG top from the Great Eros and I can confirm itβs gorgeous and drapes so beautifully unlike DBβs garbageβ¦.
by u/BandicootGrand in NYCinfluencersnark
Addressing how she previously responded to such complaints, Bernstein admitted that her approach had been defensive. 'When people said our designs came too close to theirs, instead of listening I was defensive and reacting,' she said. She also acknowledged that certain designs should never have progressed through the company's development process.
WeWoreWhat Is Changing Its Approach to Fashion
Bernstein now says WeWoreWhat is changing how it approaches design inspiration. With a new licensing partner, the brand plans to introduce more premium materials, higher pricing and clearer explanations of its creative references. She said WeWoreWhat would be more mindful about taking inspiration from smaller independent designers, instead of looking to established luxury labels such as Khaite, Chloé and The Row.
The founder defended the broader practice of interpreting runway trends and vintage fashion for a more accessible market. She compared WeWoreWhat's business model with retailers including Zara, Mango and Steve Madden, which produce commercial interpretations of fashion trends. Her proposed changes focus on being more careful about drawing inspiration from smaller labels while making the brand's creative influences more transparent.
The rebrand is already taking shape across Bernstein's businesses and social media presence. She has changed her Instagram account name from WeWoreWhat to Danielle Bernstein and introduced a new visual identity for the clothing label. In an Instagram announcement, she described a forthcoming personal essay covering 'what I built, what I got wrong, and what comes next'.
Bernstein plans to publish the essay on Substack, where she says she has nearly 18,000 subscribers. She has said she uses artificial intelligence to help brainstorm ideas and structure posts but writes the content herself. The promised essay is expected to address her past controversies in greater detail, although she has not specified which individual allegations it will cover.
