Virgil Abloh's Off-White Fashion Line Sued For Allegedly Ripping Off Name
By Ryan Naumann on July 8, 2019 at 11:29 AM EDT
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Kanye West’s close friend, Virgil Abloh’s hot fashion line Off-White is being sued for allegedly ripping off the name from another company.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, OffWhite Productions - who do business as OFFWHITE – have filed suit against Abloh’s fashion house OFF—WHITE.
OFFWHITE accuses OFF—WHITE of ripping off their trademarked name and ruining their years of hard work.
OFFWHITE is a New York-based company that, “provides wholistic creative solutions to creators of new goods and services integrating innovative marketing, advertising, and other business approaches to product and brand development.”
They have been in business since the late 1990s and have been doing business as “OFFWHITE”. The company points to their website that was launched in 2001 and have promoted their name on social media since 2005. They claim to have obtained a trademark for their logos and name in 2014.
The suit explains the defendant “Off—White” brand was founded in 2012, “and has grown rapidly under the direction of its creative designer, Virgil Abloh.” They say Abloh’s company is known for selling $1,000 sweatshirts as well as collaborations and endorsements from celebrities, which includes Kanye West.
The company takes issue with the fashion company using their name and allegedly infringing on their trademarks. OFFWHITE says they sent off cease and desists to Abloh’s company but he has refused to comply and instead tried to file for trademarks to spite them.
They are suing for unspecified damages and they want all profits Abloh’s company has made using the name and an injunction forcing them to cease selling under Off-White.
Virgil Abloh started his career when he interned at Fendi in 2009, the same year Kanye West did. The two became close friends and support each other’s ventures.
Abloh is currently the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's wear collection. He is also the CEO of the Milan-based fashion label OFF—WHITE, which he founded in 2012.
