When Kendall and Kylie produced a series of $125 T-shirts with images of themselves superimposed over some of the world’s most beloved rappers, it understandably upset a lot of people. Family and friends of the musicians, including the mother of the late Notorious B.I.G., Voletta Wallace, were vocal in their outrage, prompting the Jenner sisters to post a hasty apology and pull the insensitive T-shirts from their stores.
Now, however, the pair are being sued by the photographer who took the original images of Tupac used in their artwork. Mike Millar, a photographer for TMZ, alleges he never gave permission for his images to be used and is demanding receipt of any profits they made off the shirts.
In a telling response, Todd Wilson, a representative for Kendall and Kylie, has come out to say that the lawsuit is absurd and misguided because while the sisters gave the tick of approval to the design, they depend on others within their company to look after technical details and issues of legality. Basically, it wasn’t their fault.
In the meantime, the controversial T-shirts have become the ironic inspiration for the Arcade Fire’s new merch, which feature the band’s logo superimposed over a picture of Kendall’s face. The band are donating profit from the sale of these satirical garments to the Partners In Health organization, a non-profit who work to improve the health of poor and marginalized people across the world.
And while news of the Jenner’s ignorance in respect to their T-shirt graphics shouldn’t come as a surprise, it does send a clear message that there’s no suitable excuse when it comes exploitation and appropriation.
So @arcadefire are selling their own versions of *those* Kendal and Kylie Jenner t-shirts pic.twitter.com/vTrKrDJPxp
— Thomas (@thomasjsmith__) July 4, 2017
Credits
Text Briony Wright
Image via Kendall + Kylie Shop