Battle of the beige influencers! Inside the ‘millions-worth’ toxic row between two TikTok stars fighting for ownership of their ‘clean-girl aesthetic’

A minimalist wardrobe, an organized lifestyle and neutral colors galore… it’s hardly a formula you’d think would justify a legal battle.

But influencers Sydney Nicole Gifford, now based in Minnesota after moving from Texas, and Alyssa Sheil, from Austin, are fighting just over that, and both are likely hoping to prove that their version of the “clean-girl aesthetic” vibe is uniquely their own . .

Gifford, 24, who has 298,000 followers on Instagram and another 599.6k on TikTok, has filed a so-called first lawsuit accusing fellow content creator Sheil, 21, of copying her TikTok, Instagram and Amazon Storefront posts.

She claims Sheil duplicated her “neutral, beige and cream aesthetic,” promoted the same Amazon products and used similar language, Texas court records show. The New York Post.

Gifford also claims in her lawsuit that her rival copied her specific frames in videos, her way of speaking, appearance and even tattoos. This similarity between their pages apparently affected Gifford’s revenue.

But opening up in an interview with The edge this week, Sheil, who has fewer than 440,000 followers on the two social media platforms, emphasized: “There are hundreds of people with the exact same aesthetic, and I’m the only one having to go through this.

‘It comes across as very gatekeeper… Like: “I’m the only one who can be successful in this program, I’m the only one who can put my foot in the door.”

‘I think there is room and certainly enough money for everyone who participates [the Amazon influencer] program.’

Sydney Nicole Gifford (pictured left), now based in Minnesota after moving from Texas, and Alyssa Sheil (pictured right), from Austin, are two influencers

The two women met in Austin in December 2022, with the goal of supporting each other’s businesses. However, after a joint photo shoot in January 2023 (where opinions differed on both sides as to how well it went), Sheil blocked Gifford online.

She says this is because she didn’t feel the need to continue the relationship online when it wasn’t as brilliant in real life.

Although Gifford was not offended, she later discovered from her followers that Sheil’s content was reportedly beginning to resemble her own.

As you browse both pages you may see similar products, outfits and decorations from Amazon, both of which fit into the trendy ‘clean-girl aesthetic’, with creams, grays and beige proving to be the most popular color choices for most items.

According to court documents filed this spring in the Western District of Texas, at least 30 posts on Sheil’s platforms allegedly contained “identical style, tone, camera angle and/or text” as Gifford’s.

Gifford’s legal team sent Sheil letters warning them to stop, court documents reportedly said, while the influencer also successfully lobbied on social platforms to remove some of her rival’s allegedly infringing posts.

Then, in April, Gifford sued Sheil after she apparently continued to copy her content. She is reportedly being sued for damages that could run into millions. In November, a judge ruled that Gifford’s case could proceed.

Gifford (pictured left), 24, who has 298,000 followers on Instagram and another 599.6k on TikTok, has filed a so-called first class lawsuit accusing fellow content creator Shei (pictured right), 21, of copying from her TikTok, Instagram and Amazon Storefront posts

Gifford (pictured left) claims Sheil (pictured right) duplicated her “neutral, beige and cream aesthetic,” promoted the same Amazon products and used similar language, according to Texas court records, The New York Post reported

The influencers, who are like online personal shoppers and recommend and review different products for their hundreds of thousands of followers, have bought houses thanks to their jobs.

Gifford, who now goes by Sydney Nicole Slone on social media following her marriage, told The Verge how the amount she earns has now largely returned to what it apparently was.

The TikTok star, who is currently pregnant with a baby boy, claims this is because Sheil is reportedly posting fewer posts that resemble her ‘vibe’ and because she has changed the way she films her footage; she has stopped using similar sets as in her rival’s clips and shows her face more.

Gifford is asking a judge to ban her opponent from duplicating her content, along with unspecified damages. Sheil “vehemently denies all allegations,” her attorney Jason McManis said.

Amazon, meanwhile, declined to comment on the lawsuit, according to The Verge.

MailOnline has contacted Gifford, Sheil and Amazon for comment.