Forever 21 Rips Off Cobain Shirt, Then Pulls It

Nirvana, circa 1992

The popular clothing chain Forever 21, has recently sparked a bit of controversy over a recent t-shirt design; one which they blatantly copied from Kurt Cobain, the deceased frontman of Nirvana.

Cobain, who left the world back in 1994, doodled a quick sketch of a dolphin with the word “Flipper” above it in Sharpie pen on a white t-shirt, and first wore the shirt in 1992, when the band appeared on Saturday Night Live.

After the appearance, the shirt (and design) became one of the most recognized symbols of 90’s grunge style, not to mention, a nod to the San Francisco punk band of the same name that formed in 1979 (and still is around today).

Fast forward to 2011… Giant clothing chain Forever 21, who pulls in billions of dollars every year, and who is known for budget-friendly duds (and apparently is familiar with lawsuits from major designers claiming their styles have been copied by the company), feels a bit nostalgic and puts out a “crew neck tee with sketched ‘Flipper’ graphic at front”, retailing for $16.90.

According to Rolling Stone, soon after the release of the “Flipper” shirt, outrage ensues from both Nirvana fans and fashion critics, and bam! Immediately the shirt is pulled from Forever’s website.

The fashion store chain has not commented so far yet on the hoopla, and it’s probably pretty safe to say they won’t. Let’s just sweep that one under the rug, because, who wants a lawsuit, especially one that might involve Courtney Love?

Check out the (now) not-for-sale Forever 21 ripoff t-shirt below!

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