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The story is now so commonplace that it’s become a fashion cliché: whether it’s an independent creator with an Etsy shop or an iconic brand that employs a vast team of creatives, at some point, a link to an item for sale on Shein is shared in an email or DM or text. “Hey,” the message from a confused colleague or customer might read. “Isn’t this your design?”
Cookies SF, a highly popular clothing brand launched in 2011 by the co-founder of the billion-dollar American weed brand Cookies, filed a lawsuit against Shein on November 2nd that accuses the Chinese fast fashion juggernaut—the retailer generated $15.7 billion in 2021—of trademark infringement and counterfeiting. At issue is a sweatshirt that was at one point offered for sale on Shein’s website which, Cookies SF alleges, precisely reproduces their trademarked Cookies Mark: the distinctive, looping logo that appears on nearly all of their apparel.
Cookies co-founder Gilbert Milam Jr., best known by his rapper moniker Berner, was unavailable for comment.