Graffiti Artist Sues Moschino And Jeremy Scott Over Gigi Hadid, Katy Perry Dresses

Popular graffiti artist Joseph Tierney, better known as Rime, has filed a suit against Moschino’s creative director, Jeremy Scott, for allegedly ripping off his artwork. The designer used Rime’s street art on several key pieces from Moschino’s fall 2015 col1lection.

The artwork in question is a 2012 Detroit mural of a man with furrowed brows and a glaring set of “Vandal Eyes ” against a popping red and blue background. Gigi Hadid wore the design (Look 64) on the ramp when she walked for the fashion house during the Milan Fashion Week earlier this year. It is the same dress that singer Katy Perry wore on the red carpet at the 2015 Met Gala in New York in May, E!News reported.

The 30-year-old pop star attended the Met Gala on Scott’s arm, even carrying a quirky clutch in the shape of a spray paint can to complement the designer’s street art-inspired design. Scott himself wore a jacket featuring a design strikingly similar to the piece of graffiti in question. And they arrived at the event in a spray-painted Rolls Royce.

Scott is being accused of modifying the design by overlaying logoed tags: “Moschino and Jeremy Scott did their own painting over that of the artist, superimposing the Moschino and Jeremy Scott brand names in spray-paint style as if part of the original work,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles.

The suit also alleges that Scott has hurt Rime’s reputation. It stated that the artist’s credibility was compromised by inclusion in a crass and commercial publicity stunt. It said defendants Moschino and Jeremy Scott placed Rime’s art on their highest-profile apparel without his knowledge or consent.

The idea of putting graffiti -- or “street art" -- on ultra-expensive clothing was meant to provoke and generate publicity for the brand and designer, the suit added. Tierney is demanding that Moschino cease selling the items that he claims infringe upon his artwork, as well as pay significant damages.

This is not the first time that Scott has been accused of plagiarism -- he was previously sued by Santa Cruz Skateboards, which accused him of stealing their art for his fall/winter 2013 collection. The case was settled out of court. Meanwhile, Scott has not responded publicly to Rimes’ lawsuit, nor has Moschino commented.