Street artists call for boycott on fashion brand

omotolani

March 15, 2018 4:30 PM

This comes closely after their ‘Coolest Monkey’ jumper debacle.

Swedish

What caused the protest?

The H&M’s new campaign features a model in its ‘New Routine’ sportswear line, in front of artist Jason ‘Revok’ Williams’ graffiti. The wall on which his work is sprayed is located in the William Sheridan Playground handball court in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

According to HypeBeast, the artist has filed a cease and desist letter to H&M on the grounds that the fashion giant’s ‘unauthorized use of his (Willaims) original artwork, and the manner in which it is using the work, is damaging and is likely to cause consumers familiar with his work to believe there is a relationship between the parties’.

H&M's stance on the matter

H&M has fired back at Revok, saying that ‘under the circumstances, in which your client’s claimed ‘artwork’ is the product of criminal conduct, Mr Williams has no copyright rights to assert’.

They go on to say that as copyright protection ‘is a privilege under federal law’, it doesn’t extend to ‘illegally crated works’. And H&M has the New York City Department of PArks on its side. The organisation has confirmed that the ‘graffiti on the park handball wall was unauthorized and constituted vandalism and defacing of New York City property’. So, street artists are now calling for a boycott of the high street retailer in support of Revok.

omotolani