While we ask ourselves what to expect from this new year, which trends and orientations is the fashion industry craving, the first that seems to be ongoing is copyright infringement, trend launched and brought forward by Balenciaga in the last few years (read here to know more).
The last brand to be sued is Marc Jacobs, for its Resort 2019 collection ‘Marc Jacobs redux’. Nirvana lawyers, in fact, denounced the non-authorized use of the iconic smiley face logo, designed by Kurt Cobain in 1991, and exposed to copyright protection the next year in 1992. This is one of the arguments of the complaint “Nirvana has used that copyright-protected design and logo continuously since 1992 to identify its music”, they told Forbes, highlighting that “a significant portion of the consuming public assumes that all goods or services that bear the logo are endorsed by or associated with Nirvana.”
In this case, the iconic smiley face representing Grunge was edited replacing the two Xs on the eyes with the designers initials M and J, and using the word HEAVEN instead of NIRVANA.
The collection, originally designed by Jacobs for the brand Perry Ellis in 1993, never enjoyed the likes of the band members; just think that when the designer sent samples to Kurt Cobain and Cortney Love they set them on fire (read here to know more).
Marc Jacobs likes Grunge, but Grunge people don’t like Marc Jacobs at all. Annoyed by the appropriation of their identity, Nirvana argument their complaint adding that the whole marketing campaign for the collection contains references to the band, like the use of their songs lyrics in its ads. The band describes the designers behavior as “oppressive, fraudulent, and malicious”, claiming to have caused them “irreparable injuries” to the band’s image and therefore seeking injunctive relief and monetary damages.
Today, no official responses were released by Marc Jacobs, his only comment regarding the issue was made through this instagram post.
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Text by Enrica Miller