From left, the Swedish original; “mountain” bandanna by some Marc guy.Photo: Courtesy of You Thought We Wouldn’t Notice
In the fifties, in the sleepy town in northern Sweden of Härjedalen, Gosta Olofsson produced about 1,000 scarves to celebrate this fair city. The scarves portrayed a small church, wooden huts, bears, flowers, and the coat of arms of Härjedalen. Cute! Now flash-forward to spring/summer ‘08: Marc Jacobs produces remarkably similar “mountain” bandannas to, um, celebrate the sleepy northern Swedish village of Härjedalen? The scarves look exactly the same, except Jacobs’s version says “Marc Jacobs since 1984” across the top. Now Gosta’s grandson is upset about the, ahem, similarities, and a spokeswoman for the Swedish tourist bureau says, “It looks he has just copied it straight off, this Marc guy. I definitely don’t think he has been to Härjedalen.” Yes, “this Marc guy” might not have been to Härjedalen, but maybe an accessories designer on his staff has.
Swedes Complain About Marc Jacobs Scarf [UPI]
Marc Jacobs Copies Swedish Scarves [You Thought We Wouldn’t Notice]
