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Fashion student takes on Tesco after company used her face on sweater without permission

Imagine sifting through a rack of clothes while shopping, only to find your face plastered on a bunch of sweatshirts.

That’s exactly what happened to 22-year-old Scottish fashion student Nicola Kirkbride.

The aspiring designer was shocked to find out a photo of her face has been taken from her fashion blog and used on the front of a Tesco brand girl’s sweater.

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The long-sleeved yellow top features a chain of daisies in a heart shape with the words ‘loves me, loves me not’ printed over the design - and Nicola’s face in the middle.

Nicola is now taking on the giant supermarket chain, claiming they used her image without permission and printed it on a product which is now on sales in hundreds of stores across the country.

'I was only made aware of it when a girl in England who works at Tesco tagged me in a tweet on Twitter and said she had seen my face on one of the sweaters at her work,’ she told the Daily Mail.


'I couldn’t believe it. So I went down to Tesco myself and sure enough, there it was hanging on the rail.

'I actually bought it there and then. It cost me £12.'

Nicola attends Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen where she is studying fashion management.

But unfortunately for this aspiring fashion mogul, her first piece of high street clothing features her face rather than her name.

'My family has also been buying it, as it’s the first thing I’ve had in the shops before.'

Nicola took up matters with Tesco directly but said when she asked them about her photo, they were stumped.

'I called them asking how this had happened and they phoned me back saying they had absolutely no idea.

'They said they would get back to me on Wednesday, so hopefully it can be all sorted out then.'

The photo was taken from her personal blog which was started as part of her coursework last year. Her blog states all the content featured on her site belongs to her and permission for use any of her photos is required.


A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We are looking into this and we are speaking to Nicola Kirkbride.'