Taylor Swift's team is redesigning her Folklore album merchandise after being called out on social media for design similarities to a Black woman’s business.
Amira Rasool is the owner of The Folklore, a New York City-based shop that sells high-end African fashion items. Rasool took to Twitter on July 24 and pointed out that one of Swift’s designs for her album merchandise resembled her brand’s logo.
Wait hold up. Taylor Swift, it’s one thing to use the name “Folklore” but we’re out here stealing Black women’s logos too? @TheFolklore
pic.twitter.com/XvcS6dyadp— Amira Rasool (@AmiraRasool) July 24, 2020
The CEO told InStyle she was shocked by the discovery and hoped her supporters didn’t believe she was the copycat.
“I'd heard of so many different Black women in particular who had been ripped off by large corporations by celebrities. And I just couldn't believe that it was happening to me,” Rasool said.
She shared with the fashion magazine that it was difficult to believe Swift’s team was unaware of her brand. She said the ordeal was “disheartening."
“It’s just very hard to believe that [Swift’s team] didn't come across it," Rasool said. "And if they did come across it — which I believe they did — for them to model Taylor’s merchandise on our logo, especially having seen what our company is about, is especially disheartening to me."
In a separate social media post, the New Jersey native wrote she is sharing her story to expose a toxic culture in which large companies appropriate the work of small business owners.
“This morning, it came to my attention that musician #TaylorSwift is selling merchandise to go along with her new album ‘Folklore’. She is currently selling merchandise with the words 'The Folklore' printed on them. Based on the similarities of the design, I believe the designer of the merch ripped off my company's logo,” she wrote. “I am sharing my story to bring light to the trend of large companies/celebrities copying the work of small minority-owned business owners. I am not going to let this blatant theft go unchecked.”
The items have since been removed from Swift’s website, the New York Daily News reports.
Swift, whose Folklore album reached No. 1 on Billboard, responded via Twitter by complimenting Rasool’s work and committing donations to Rasool’s business and the Black in Fashion Council, an organization that convenes fashion companies to hold them accountable for developing internal procedures to improve diversity.
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 ????@thefolklore
@amirarasool
@bifcglobal
#blackinfashioncouncil— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 30, 2020
Rasool later reported back to InStyle that Swift’s team worked immediately to repair the damage done. She went on to recognize the singer as a “strong advocate” for protecting women’s rights.
"Taylor’s team took swift action to have 'the' removed from all merchandise. I commend her team for recognizing the damage it caused to our brand. I recognize that Taylor has been a strong advocate for women protecting their creative rights, so it was good to see her team is on the same page," she said. "It was a great first step and we are in conversation right now with Taylor’s team about the next steps to make this situation right."
The 24-year-old business owner used the hashtag #TheRealFolklore to differentiate her brand as Swift’s album reaches national acclaim.
