Fashion Nova and litigation. It seems like they are married or estranged. The mega-brand, loved for its quick-turnaround fashions and equally criticized for “borrowing” too freely, might be stepping into yet another storm. Word has it that a certain rapper feels their designs were snatched, repurposed, and plastered on Nova’s site without the proper blessing. $10 million in damages is the big number. That’s not small change!
Now, let’s#### pause for a second. Fashion Nova has been down this road before. Their model is to tap into pop culture, run the trends through the machinery and get them on to us in record time. Sometimes that means licensing or collaborating with an artist or brand. Other times, it’s just… uncanny resemblance. With fashion, “nothing new under the sun” isn’t just a saying. But when someone with a big voice in Hip-Hop feels ripped off, that can turn into paperwork.
Here’s the thing: I’ve been hearing about this for a minute. A lawsuit was supposedly “on the way” but nothing has hit the courts yet. That makes this feel like one of those “wait and watch” situations. But those close to the situation keep saying litigation is being discussed in real numbers. I think it is going to happen, because this person is not playing.
What makes this interesting is the timing. Hip-Hop merch has become a real business, not just something to push on tour. For some artists, it’s their bread and butter! They must protect their designs. In this case, the rapper is working with a designer. A fast-fashion giant possibly has more money that we can imagine. But I am sure they cannot fathom losing their intellectual property or just rolling over. That’s just a fight waiting to happen. Cultural credibility will often clash with corporate cash. Maybe I need to rap!
So, what happens next? If this goes to court, we’ll finally get to peel back the curtain and see if there was indeed a bite taken out of the rapper’s creativity. I’ll also get to spill the beans on said rapper. Until then, it’s speculation. Fashion Nova is loved and sometimes hated. A $10 million bomb will shake everything up.
“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun…”