After claiming seven new murals across the Ukraine, Banksy took to Instagram again, this time accusing Guess of plagiarism. In a post, the British street artist specifies that the fashion brand has reproduced his Flower Thrower stencil on garments from his collection, without asking his permission.
Guess features this capsule collection on its website as a collaboration with BRANDALIZED, a graffiti licensee “whose mission is to provide Banksy fans with affordable graffiti collectibles.”
“Banksy’s graffiti has had a phenomenal influence that resonates throughout popular culture. This new capsule collection with Brandalised is fashion’s way of showing its gratitude,” Guess co-founder Paul Marciano said at the time of the presentation of this collection.
See you in London
Following this discovery, Banksy invited his followers – numbering 11.6 million – to visit the Guess store on Regent Street, in central London, to steal these garments displayed in the window.
“Attention all crooks. Visit GUESS on Regent Street,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a photo of the store in her post.
And to add: “They used themselves in my artwork without asking, why would it be forbidden to do the same with their clothes?”
Following this publication, Guess closed its London store and covered its window, protected on the outside by numerous security guards.
Source: BFM TV
