Adidas is not cool with Forever 21 using a stripe shoe design
There’s always some kind of drama going down in the fashion industry. If someone isn’t ripping off someone else’s design, then there’s probably a fashion designer who’s moving to another house, or something equally as tense happening. The latest (alleged) fashion copycat is Forever 21, who borrowed the Adidas stripe. And no, it’s not the first time the two have had a legal battle. This time, it just so happens that Adidas is suing Forever 21 for copying their signature triple stripe design.
Forever21 is at it again 😬 https://t.co/QcnhFjkp6p
— Teen Vogue (@TeenVogue) July 20, 2017
Adidas says that Forever 21 is using motifs on its shoes and athletic wear which is “confusingly similar” to Adidas’s classic three stripe design. And as if these knock-offs aren’t bad enough (in Adidas’ mind — we think they’re pretty cute), Adidas also points out that Forever 21 is selling “repurposed Adidas” pieces on their website, which is actually just counterfeit merchandise. Although these pieces show up on Google, they seem to have been taken down by Forever 21 from their website.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Forever 21 has had beef with Adidas. According to WWD, back in March Forever 21 filed a complaint against the sportswear company, saying they were a bully and that they can’t copyright how many stripes an item of clothing can have. Forever 21 dismissed this claim only two weeks later. Adidas continues to be vocal about their dismay with Forever 21 and their faux Adidas striped pieces, but Forever 21 has yet to respond to the ongoing litigations.
Hopefully both brands can sort this out. Perhaps a one-stripe style will be the solution for Forever21? Or perhaps a collaboration? You know what they say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
