Moschino designer sued over Katy Perry's graffiti dress
Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott has been hit with a lawsuit by a graffiti artist who alleges the designer lifted his art to create a gown worn by Katy Perry at the Met Gala this year (15).
Artist Rime, real name Joseph Tierney, filed documents against Scott on Tuesday (04Aug15), claiming the designer copied key items for his Moschino autumn 2015 collection from a wall mural he created in Detroit, Michigan in 2012.
Most notably, a piece from the street art which features the word
"vandal" in red with two glaring eyes above it, was allegedly
featured on the skirt of Perry's dress at the annual New York
costume ball.
Scott attended the event as Perry's date, and wore a matching suit
with what appears to be animated eyes akin to the mural on the back
of his black tuxedo jacket.
In the legal documents obtained by E! News, the artist's attorneys
state: "Rime is a well-known artist. Defendants Moschino and Jeremy
Scott - two household names in high fashion - inexplicably placed
Rime's art on their highest-profile apparel without his knowledge
or consent.
"Defendants paid Ms. Perry to advertise and display the clothing at
the Gala. Not only did Ms. Perry and defendant Scott advertise,
wear, and display the clothing at the event, they arrived at the
event in a spray painted Rolls Royce, and even carried around
Moschino branded cans of fake spray paint during the event, as if
defendants were responsible for the artwork."
Rime also name checks model Gigi Hadid in the lawsuit, as she also
wore an item from the same collection during the February 2015
Moschino runway show in Milan, Italy.
The artist is suing for copyright, unfair competition and publicity
rights claims. He is seeking an injunction as well as a cut of the
profits and an unspecified amount in damages.