Fashion influencer Danielle Bernstein has been accused of being “controlling” and cheap by her former hairstylist.
Devin Sutherland talks about the pitfalls of working with content creators from 2017 to 2019 in a new interview with the Daily Mail.
“Even when we traveled, she would put me on the cheapest flights possible and make me sleep on the sofa in her hotel room,” Sutherland claimed.
The hair expert pointed out that Bernstein, 33, reportedly did not even help pay for her car ride.
“When I ended up asking her to cover my Uber, she said, ‘Most people take the train, baby,'” she claimed.
Sutherland recalled that the WeWoreWhat founder seemed unfazed by public criticism.
“Daniel himself always said, ‘Having a hater means you’re doing something right,'” Ms Sutherland said. “It’s true. I mean, she knows what she’s doing.”
Sutherland, who called Bernstein a “controlling” person, reflected on why he collaborated with her in the first place.
“Looking back it was a stupid thing to do, but I was young and I thought it was a great opportunity to network,” she said.
Page Six has reached out to Bernstein’s representatives for comment.
Bernstein, who has 3.3 million followers on Instagram, recently came under fire after being accused of plagiarizing another influencer’s engagement party speech.
However, the clothing designer’s lawyer denied this claim, telling the Daily Mail: “We can unequivocally confirm that Danielle had never seen[another influencer’s]video prior to the allegations being made.”
This isn’t the first time Bernstein has been accused of adopting other creators’ ideas.
In the midst of the 2020 pandemic, small business owner Karen Perez claimed Bernstein stole her COVID-19 mask and chain designs.
“It really pissed me off because she had the same type of chain, same fabric and color as me,” Perez claimed at the time. “When I saw her mask, I was heartbroken…As a woman and as a minority, I’m disgusted…I have to stand up for myself. She’s a charlatan, and we stand up for minorities, but she thinks our voices are too small and is ripping us off.”
That same year, Bernstein was sued by an independent lingerie brand for allegedly copying its designs, but she fought back with a countersuit.
In 2021, Black-owned sustainable brands also accused Bernstein of being a copycat.
Bernstein’s lawyer told the Daily Mail that the Bernstein clothing brand “takes all claims of infringement seriously and investigates all claims of which we are made aware.”
“To date, neither WeWoreWhat nor the courts have identified any instances of infringement,” the lawyer added.
Despite many accusations over the years, Bernstein has managed to grow his clothing company, working with major retailers such as Macy’s and Revolve.
An anonymous influencer told the Daily Mail that Burstein was “shameless” when it came to his business strategy.
“She was one of the first fashion influencers to monetize on the platform,” the source said. “I actually respect her for that, but that’s about it.”
The source even praised Bernstein for not letting “a million cancellations stop him from using social media.”
“That’s impressive in a way to me,” the source said.
