Taylor Swift pledges support to Black-owned fashion brand The Folklore after founder calls attention to similar logo designs
- Taylor Swift pledged her support to The Folklore, a Black-owned fashion retailer, after she was accused of ripping off its logo for her album merchandise.
- Founder and CEO Amira Rasool told InStyle she was "shocked" by the similarities and planned to take legal action.
- Swift appeared to alter her album merchandise shortly after the interview was published.
- "I commend Taylor's team for recognizing the damage the merchandise caused to my company @TheFolklore's brand," Rasool wrote on Twitter.
- Swift replied: "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."
Taylor Swift has pledged her support to The Folklore, a Black-owned fashion retailer, after she was accused of ripping off its logo for her album merchandise.
Swift also appeared to alter the merchandise in question, previously emblazoned with "The folklore Album," after the similarities came to light.
In an interview published earlier this week, The Folklore founder and CEO Amira Rasool said she was "shocked" by the resemblance.
"I'd heard of so many different Black women in particular who had been ripped off by large corporations by celebrities," said the 24-year-old New Jersey native. "And I just couldn't believe that it was happening to me."
The Folklore, which is based in New York City, "stocks high-end and emerging designer brands from Africa and the diaspora, and serves as a cultural hub for contemporary brands, artists and creatives to showcase their personal stories," according to the website.
She also told InStyle that she planned to take legal action, though she didn't blame Swift specifically and hoped the pop star would be sympathetic and amenable to compromise.
"Clearly Taylor didn't find The Folklore and make this sketch," Rasool said. "But at the end of the day, Taylor is the one who's profiting off of it. This is her team. So it's up to her to make it right."
"I just hope that [Swift] and her team will acknowledge that what they did was harmful to me and the brands that I represent and that we can come up with a great solution to make sure that everyone involved is given their proper credit."
InStyle has since updated its story to note that Swift's merchandise has been altered.
Rasool also tweeted her appreciation of the move, noting that Swift has been "a strong advocate for women protecting their creative rights."
"I commend Taylor's team for recognizing the damage the merchandise caused to my company @TheFolklore's brand," she wrote on Tuesday. "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."
On Thursday, Swift replied and praised Rasool's work.
"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," she wrote.
The Black in Fashion Council, which was "founded to represent and secure the advancement of black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry," according to its website, thanked Swift for her support on Twitter.
Rasool also thanked Swift on Twitter, and clarified the state of the issue on Instagram.
"Again, I would like to thank everyone for all of the support I have received over the last few days," she wrote.
"This matter has been resolved and I'm looking forward to continuing to grow my business @thefolklore and contributing to the advancement of Black people in fashion as an executive board member of @blackinfashioncouncil."
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