Why Ariana Grande is suing Forever 21

This is not a good period for Forever 21. According to recent news, the low-cost chain, the latest victim of the crisis of fast fashion, is about to file for bankruptcy. A situation already precarious aggravated now by Ariana Grande who has decided to file a lawsuit against the chain of clothing for unauthorized use of her image. 

According to the complaint of the star's lawyers filed in a federal court in California last Monday, after an agreement between the singer and the trademark went unsuccessful because of the “unwillingness to pay the fair market value for a celebrity of Ms. Grande’s stature,” the company “stole her name, likeness, and other intellectual property to promote their brands for free.” The reference is to a fashion retailer campaign that includes more than 30 photos and videos in which a model with "uncanny "resemblance to Ariana poses with clothes, styling, graphics, and concept clearly inspired by the video of 7 Rings. For example, a silver sequined top, a hair accessory, a pink two-piece set with a silver belt appear almost identical to Grande's look. To amplify the doppelgänger effect, the model even shows off an extra-long ponytail, the star's signature hairstyle. The brand, however, went even further, "using audio and lyrics" of the single 7 Rings and including "the characteristic 7 of the video of the song in the background" and in the captions of the campaign. 

The charge with Forever 21 is, therefore, not only "stealing Ariana's name", but “to suggest to the viewing public that Ms. Grande endorsed Forever 21, its products, and was affiliated with Forever 21”. That's why the pop star is asking the company $10 million dollars (9 million euros) for damages. For now, no official statement from the retailer has arrived. The only thing sure is that trying to use the social follow-up of Grande, who has 163 million followers on Instagram, could result in a fatal mistake for the company that, as you remember, already risks bankruptcy.