The North Face Vows To Phase Out Logo Allegedly Stolen From Street Artist
The Futurelight symbol, still online at the time of publication. Screenshot via The North Face
Outdoor fashion brand The North Face has said it will be phasing out a logo that street artist Futura alleges was stolen from him.
The artist had sued the brand earlier this year, saying it used his signature stylized atomic element for a logo on a line of waterproof outwear released in 2019.
The line, Futurelight, also shares a name similar to Futura’s own, sparking speculation that the artist had collaborated with the brand on the launch.
In an Instagram post, Futura said he hadn’t known about Futurelight till he started “receiving hundreds of DMs from numerous individuals asking about the new collaboration.”
He alleged that upon reaching out to The North Face, the brand refused to cooperate, hiding behind lawyers and effectively telling him to “get lost.”
According to Artnet News, the company has since denied allegations that it stole the logo’s design, saying it was conceived by its internal creative team and was inspired by the brand’s geodesic dome tent logo instead.
In an online post titled ‘Our Deep Respect For Artists’, The North Face wrote it was certain “there has been no infringement in this case, we are committed to supporting creative artists and their communities.”
“As a sign of that commitment and a sincere gesture of goodwill, we will begin to phase out and discontinue the use of the Futurelight circular nanospinning logo design out of deep respect for Futura and his work. Any resemblance to Futura’s signature atomic element design was entirely coincidental and not part of our internal design team’s inspiration,” the brand said.
Take a look at the artist’s impassioned post and his work below.
[via Artnet News, images via various sources]
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