Taylor Swift changes ‘Folklore’ merchandise design after being accused of copying
Fashion label owner Amira Rasool commended Swift's team for taking immediate action
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Your support makes all the difference.Taylor Swift quickly changed the designs of her Folklore merchandise in response to a complaint from a Black-owned fashion label with the same name and a similar logo.
Women’s Wear Daily reported that the pop star changed the words on her merchandise from “The Folklore” to “Folklore” after Amira Rasool, owner of The Folklore, a website for African apparel and accessories designers, said that it was causing confusion among customers.
Rasool’s lawyers reached out to Swift’s team to alert them to the similarities in both the name and logo design shared by her brand and the singer’s new album merchandise. The new promotional merchandise includes sweatshirts, t-shirts, and a cardigan with the same design as the one Swift wears in her music video for one of her latest tracks, “cardigan”.
“The main thing was having ‘The Folklore’ when the album was just called Folklore,” said Rasool.
She commended Swift’s team, 13 Management, for taking immediate action to remove the “The” from all merchandise. She also said, “I think there’s a larger conversation that needs to be had. It’s not just damaging to one Black woman, it’s all the brands that we work with.”
Swift has since replied to Rasool's Tweet commending "Taylor's team for recognising the damage the merchandise caused to my company @TheFolklore's brand".
The artist said, "Amira, I admire the work you're doing and I'm happy to make a contribution to your company and to support the Black in Fashion Council (launching on 8/3) with a donation." The Black in Fashion Council was founded to represent and secure the advancement of Black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry.
Swift's team has issued a statement confirming that “absolutely no merchandise using ‘the’ before the words ‘folklore album’ has been manufactured and sent out”. They added that anyone who has already ordered merchandise will be notified and receive their order with the design change.
Rasool told WWD that Swift’s fans attacked her on social media for speaking out. She said some of “the Swifties” – a nickname used for the singer’s fans – called her “a bi*** and a liar”.
She added, “I think there was a lot of damage to my brand for me speaking out. I don’t think I deserved that.”
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