Rappers aren’t the only ones who call out style jackers. Famed streetwear line Supreme (and founder James Jebbia) has filed a lawsuit against Leah McSweeney (owner of female streetwear line Married to the Mob) for copyright infringement. McSweeney launched a design called “Supreme B-tch” back in 2004, which leans heavily on Supreme’s logo. Very heavily.
The signature Supreme logo is the red bar with white block letters that read, yes you guessed it, SUPREME. In Married to the Mob’s interpretation, there’s an extension to that logo with the addition of the word “B-TCH.” Cool. The lawsuit rings to the tune of $10 million. While McSweeney’s blatant jacking of the logo has been in effect for years, Jebbia explained that the infringement is difficult to point out. Of course it is—especially when Supreme’s own logo was inspired by another artist, Barbara Kruger. Kruger inspired so many infamous logos, and Complex got a hold of her to comment, to which she referred to the situation as “a ridiculous clusterf**k of totally uncool jokers.”
McSweeney was also vocal about the lawsuit. In an official statement on her website, she refers to the Supreme B-tch logo as parody, stating that “Supreme B-tch is one design of many; one slogan of many. And the use of the design has always been to make fun of the misogynistic vibe of Supreme and the boys who wear it.” McSweeney sort of collaborated with Supreme in the past, so watching this unfold is more complex than it seems.
Supreme is a line worn by many a rapper including Bun B, Wale, and of course Tyler, the Creator who stays rocking a Supreme hat (and once worked at the LA store). Whether they will actually get $10 million for this lawsuit remains to be seen. Either way, this is a cautionary tale for any biters out there. Peep Married To The Mob’s “Supreme B-tch” tee on the next page.
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Photo: Supreme, Married To The Mob
