Ankara, April 23, 2025: Prominent Pakistani fashion designer Maria B is once again under scrutiny after Turkish content creator Turkan Atay accused her brand of failing to honor a payment agreement following a brand shoot in Turkey earlier this year.
Atay, who has over 850,000 Instagram followers and is known for her Urdu-language content, claims she was approached by Maria B’s team to manage a location shoot in Turkey in early 2025. The agreement, according to Atay, was based on a per-outfit payment model to cover local production expenses.
Despite delivering the required content, Atay alleges she received only partial payment. In a video message posted to her social media platforms, she said the brand later attempted to shift terms, claiming payments were typically made per social media reel, not per outfit.
“It’s been three months,” Atay said. “They’ve wasted my time, dodged full payment, and dealt with me in an unprofessional manner.” She further alleged that the designer’s team deleted prior communications after her husband tried to mediate the dispute.
This is not the first time Maria B has faced backlash over her dealings in Turkey.
In August 2024, the designer sparked controversy with her “Palestine Collection,” which featured apparel incorporating powerful Palestinian symbols such as the keffiyeh, watermelon motif, and the national flag. While positioned as a gesture of solidarity, critics accused the brand of exploiting a humanitarian crisis for commercial benefit.
The controversy intensified when Pakistani artist Leena Ghani accused Maria B of plagiarizing a specific artwork. The design — depicting a child, the map of Palestine, and olive branches — was originally created by Turkish artist Hacı Balina Atölye and had been shared by the Instagram account Palestine Quebec.
In response to the backlash, Maria B posted a statement on Instagram attributing the use of the design to an “unintentional” oversight, citing the rapid pace of digital content circulation.
As of now, Maria B’s team has not publicly responded to Turkan Atay’s latest allegations.
