Oh, Urban Outfitters, can you do anything right? Between lawsuits, copyright errors, and being generally just pretty offensive, Urban Outfitters is about as familiar with scandals as it is with the hipster aesthetic. And now the company has another problem to deal with (surprise). Urban Outfitters is being accused of ripping off an artist's design and people are not happy about it.
James Soares claims his design was ripped off by the brand and placed onto a bodycon skirt. Soares sells his designs and work via the site Society 6 and immediately posted on Tumblr about Urban Outfitters's wrong doing. The post now has over 91,000 notes. The power of Tumblr, guys. The power of Tumblr.
Granted, Soares did promise to follow anyone who reblogged the post, which probably had something to do with its rapid spread. However, the amount of people who hate Urban Outfitters seems to be never-ending, especially on Tumblr, where most people are usually passionately offended by something and/or everything.
Soares posted the photos of his work alongside the skirt in question and although you can judge for yourself, it's pretty hard to deny that the resemblance, down to very small details, is uncanny.
Alright, Urban Outfitters, come on now. You couldn't have changed a triangle or two?
Despite the possible copyright mishap, the brand has responded to Soares' complaint and is handling it pretty well. Although, this is Urban Outfitters we're talking about, so one would assume they know how to seamlessly address these types of situations at this point.
We take matters such as this very seriously and removed the product as soon as this was brought to our attention. Urban Outfitters has worked with Society6 since 2010 to help bring awareness and sales to their creative network of artists. As long-time supporters of Society6 and independent creatives, we would never intentionally appropriate their work. The origin of the design is still being investigated with the designers at BAMBAM Cloth. We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this issue.
The skirt has, in fact, been removed from the site and is no longer available for purchase, which is a positive reaction. It's also convenient because I doubt anyone can wear that skirt without exposing a butt cheek or two. And if there's anything the world doesn't need more of, it's booty-baring, geometrically-designed skirts that are products of copyright infringement. Am I right?
Odds are this case will develop more in the coming weeks, but whatever the outcome – Urban Outfitters is a pro at this kind of stuff by now. Selling clothes? Not so much lately, but here's hoping they bounce back.
