Don’t let this happen to you⤵️
Story reprinted From Lamont Tory on IG.
At the start of 2019, after losing a friend to a long battle with addiction, I released a line called Struggle is Common. My goal was to remind people that they’re not alone and to encourage them to face their problems head on if they truly wish to be FREE. Days after releasing a black crewneck with FREE across the chest in a varsity font, I wore it to an extremely private birthday party in Los Angeles. In attendance were some of the most famous people in the World, as well as some of the most influential names in the fashion industry and beyond. I had fuckin blast. Throughout the evening I received several compliments and had more than a few conversations about the meaning behind my sweatshirt.
Fast forward to August 2021, a bunch of people began tagging me in a Vanity Fair video which featured Diddy, now known as LOVE, wearing what they knew to be my design. While everyone was congratulating me, I was scratching my head with confusion. Shortly after, I was sent a video of Da Baby wearing the shirt. Then Puerto Rican rapper Anuel. At this point it became apparent that someone had clearly “borrowed” my design, but I had no idea who. That is until recently when multiple friends sent me a link to Balenciaga’s website where they were selling the exact same black crew neck as well as multiple variations of my design for up to 25x the price. Then I started receiving targeted ads on my phone trying to sell me what was clearly mine. Strange!
I say all that to say, if anyone knows anyone at Balenciaga, can you please have them reach out to me. We need to have a conversation. All too often, the little people get stepped on by big brands and I just want to ensure that this is not another example of that, but rather just a big misunderstanding. Thank you for listening 🙏🏾
#FREE #Balenciaga #Diddy #LOVE #DaBaBy #Anuel #Kanye #KanyeWest #Kardashians #ParisHilton #Fashion #Style #Design #Designer #DietPrada #TheShadeRoom #BlackBusiness #WSHH #Complex #MTO
Lessons Learned
✅Protect Your IP First
✅Trademark Your Brand
✅It’s always on you to protect your IP
✅Don’t think the big brand is going to do right by you
