Don’t Mess With The Angels

For those who haven’t been following, in late October the world’s largest outlaw biker gang, The Hells Angels,  filed a lawsuit against fashion house Alexander McQueen over the misappropriation of the club’s trademarked Winged Death skull-with-wings symbol.

While the situation might seem like a ridiculous back and fourth, the Angel’s lawyer, Fritz Clapp told reporters at Financial Times that the clubs concern was “getting [the products] out of the market, since they represent membership insignia, and anyone wearing them would be considered an imposter by club members.”

If you don’t know anything about the notorious band of hard partying, loud motorcycle riding thugs that are The Hells Angels (although that sums them up quite nicely), to impersonate one is a serious offence, punishable by – and this sounds cliche but it’s not – death. There’s lots of literature out there on them, but my fave is Hunter S Thompson’s personal account, Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.

The good news – the Angels and the three companies involved – along with McQueen, Saks and Zappos have been named in the suit – have come to an agreement. Clapp told WWD that as part of the settlement, the companies have agreed to remove the items from their stores and destroy them. As if that’s not enough, the companies have also agreed to recall those items that have already been sold, and destroy them as well.

This must come as a bittersweet disappointment to McQueen fans, but also seems like the kind of drama the late designer would have fed off. I think the consensus among those already in possession of one of these “wanted” pieces is they’re not going to give them up without a fight if at all. Although, I guess if a leather clad Angel appeared at my door demanding I fork it over (in not  quite as nice terminology), I’d probably concede.

via stylite and time