Matthew Williamson in Ethiopian controversy

In fashion, the sincerest form of flattery is not to copy, but to be inspired. Whilst high street retailers are expected to 'translate' catwalk trends and make them available at affordable prices to the masses, luxury houses and designers are expected to be divine source of said inspiration. When a high street retailer finds itself embroiled in litigation due to copying, it's hardly headline news. When luxury houses, however, find the shoe is on the other foot, it raises several issues.

Matthew Williamson this week has been targeted by the Ethiopian government for using a pattern similar to its national dress. Two outfits shown at his much-hyped 10th anniversary SS08 show in September during London Fashion Week are thought to be directly copied from traditional Ethiopian dress.

Abdurazak Omer of the Intellectual Property Office in Addis Ababa told the Independent on Sunday: "We are very unhappy with the actions of Mr Williamson. These are the dresses of our mothers and grandmothers. They symbolise our identity, faith and national pride. Nobody has the right to claim these designs as their own."

But why the controversy? If Marc Jacobs uses the British flag in his designs, printed on a range of products from T-shirts to towels, it is regarded as contemporary and cool. The British embassy is not likely to be placing a call to the LVMH headquarters in Paris demanding Mr Jacobs retract his British-inspired designs from his stores.

Why instead can't Mr Williamson's dresses be regarded as a celebration of Ethiopian design? Surely the cut, styling and fabrics of the dresses will be nothing like those of the traditional garments Mr Omer is accusing Mr Williamson of having copied. Hence their price tag of £800.

For many in the west, the rich history of Ethiopian design is but unchartered territory. Perhaps it is ignorance, perhaps because it simply hasn't translated across borders. Perhaps we can credit Mr Williamson for showing the international fashion community and his clientele something novel, other than the blocked colour palettes seen on the major catwalks. After all, his designs are often ubiquitous prints and ethnic-inspired. Really, it is what he is known for.