Fashion is useless in modern, pluralist societies. It is a relic of uniformity striving conformism in mono-dimensional groups and nowadays serves only big series manufacturers and retailers to achieve quicker turnaround.

In light of the recent shifts caused by the election of President Trump an unprecedented situation evolved in which everything is becoming relevant. There were lively discussions online of the choice of the First Lady’s inauguration outfit:

I would say that here the point is political, not legal as indicated in the caption to the photos above. If anyone is interested, copyright always works somewhat different in an environment where referencing to others is legitimate creative procedure. Sometimes it is directed towards the past points of reference and more often it is just the expected amount of similarity that allows for “fashions” to form in the first place. Fashions, in the above sense, are in industry’s interests to move faster their wares and copying is therefore tolerated if it stays within the certain boundaries.