Illustration by WNW Member Yifan Wu
“Discussions surrounding copying are pervasive, i.e. 'DON’T DO IT,' but few safe spaces existed in which to explore. As with the topic of safe sex, how can we as a community expect to arrive at healthy decisions if abstinence is the only option?”
Read MoreWNW Member #324 Tuesday Bassen is an award-winning illustrator and designer with a wide range of high-profile clients including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Target, Playboy, and the list goes on. But there's one name that's surprisingly missing from the list: Zara. And while Zara has never hired (or paid) Tuesday for her work, plenty of her work is seemingly for sale on Zara's site. Tuesday's friends and fans quickly took note and informed her of the similarities. Below you can see Zara's response to Tuesday's inquiry, which she shared on her Instagram.
Tuesday's cause has been covered by GOOD, Guardian, Nylon, Vogue, Fashion Law, Cosmopolitan, and many more. And she's not the only artist whose work has been lifted by Zara. Adam J. Kurtz and Gabriella Sanchez are just two WNW members whose work has striking similarities to their products. "Some of you are asking how you can help," Tuesday writes. "Repost and tag them, on Twitter, on Insta, on Facebook. I don't want to have to burden any of you with the financial strain that comes with lawsuits."
Adam J. Kurtz, a WNW Member and Bassen’s friend, put together an image comparing the work of 12 independent artists with near-identical products on Zara’s website. Adam also listed the products in a subsection of his site called “Shop the Stolen Art.”
It's tough to go into battle alone. Kudos to Tuesday for standing up for her work and, in doing so, standing up for other independent artists. It's clear Tuesday isn't alone, which may at first seem disheartening but it is also encouraging. A shout-out to all the artists who have helped get the message out there. It only underscores the importance of creative communities. Without everyone's support of Tuesday, both before the controversy and since, and without artists sharing their own similar experiences, who knows if Tuesday's voice would have been heard.