Netflix’s Bid for Warner Bros Discovery Aims to Cut Streaming Costs and Reshape the Industry 
Asian Markets Stabilize as Wall Street Rebounds and Rate Concerns Ease 
OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities 
Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data 
Germany’s Economic Recovery Slows as Trade Tensions and Rising Costs Weigh on Growth 
Michael Dell Pledges $6.25 Billion to Boost Children’s Investment Accounts Under Trump Initiative 
Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations 
RBI Cuts Repo Rate to 5.25% as Inflation Cools and Growth Outlook Strengthens 
Rio Tinto Raises 2025 Copper Output Outlook as Oyu Tolgoi Expansion Accelerates 
Proxy Advisors Urge Vote Against ANZ’s Executive Pay Report Amid Scandal Fallout 
Europe Confronts Rising Competitive Pressure as China Accelerates Export-Led Growth 
Asian Markets Mixed as Fed Rate Cut Bets Grow and Japan’s Nikkei Leads Gains 
Citi Sets Bullish 2026 Target for STOXX 600 as Fiscal Support and Monetary Easing Boost Outlook 
Oil Prices Rise as Ukraine Targets Russian Energy Infrastructure 
Asian Currencies Edge Higher as Markets Look to Fed Rate Cut; Rupee Steadies Near Record Lows 
Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature 
Trump Administration to Secure Equity Stake in Pat Gelsinger’s XLight Startup 
Converse is in the midst of controversy after a 22-year-old woman released a video where she accused the American shoe company of using her designs without her knowledge. The video was posted on TikTok and it has over nine million views now.
The alleged design theft
The woman has been identified as Cecilia Monge and she is from Florida. As per The New York Post, she claimed that Converse stole her designs for the popular Chuck Taylor sneakers. It was revealed that she submitted drawings with detailed colorings as part of her internship application in 2019, but she was rejected. At that time, the piece that she submitted was her National Park-inspired and Yellowstone-inspired designs.
In Converse’s new releases for its new batch of sneakers, she was surprised to see the designs as she thinks they bore an uncanny resemblance to her ideas. While she can see the likeness in her drawings, Monge shared that she was hesitant to call out Converse at first because she doubted the big company saw her original shoe concepts.
Her friends and family convinced her to take action because her designs were obviously used without notifying her and having any deal with her. Based on her narration, she tried to contact Converse through emails, but she did not get any reply and this prompted her to make her video and to just publish it for the public to see.
"I really wanted the position," she told Diet Prada when it reached out to her for comments. "I thought I should show initiative and create my own line of Converse to show them I could be successful in the role if they hired me, which is a common practice in design roles."
To prove her allegations, Monge posted side-by-side photos of her original drawings and Converse’s newly-released Chuck sneakers. Many people showed support and commented that they were indeed copied.
Converse’s response
Converse got wind of the allegation and its representative issued a statement denying the claim.
The shoemaker told FEMAIL that it is true that in November 2019, a candidate applied for Converse Internship for the summer program the following year, but she was not hired for any roles after the screening process.
“The application did not include a request for, nor did Converse solicit design portfolios/samples to be submitted,” Converse’s rep added. “As a matter of standard legal policy, we do not share unsolicited portfolios of job applicants across the business.”
