SUPPORT BLACK WHITE DENIM - There's Only ONE BWD!

Can you imagine discovering someone was using your blog name and logo on their new blog? As a blogger, it's something you hear about and pray to Patz that it never happens to you. Now imagine that your blog is your business and life's work. You have put all of your hard earned money into it, worked your butt off to make it as successful as it can be and it employs a team of people who rely on the income. Now imagine someone else with more power than you has come along and is blatently copying you with callous indifference, threatening to take away everything your brand has become for their own gains. You can almost feel your stomach drop away from your body.

Black White Denim, launched in 2010, has been hailed by the fashion world, quickly earning influence and a far-reaching reputation. Vogue called it a ”winning combination”, the company featured as one of the “Top 50 best boutiques outside of London” in the Sunday Telegraph and they are ranked no.4 in Drapers’ 100 Inspiring Indies. In February this year they discovered that Pringle’s South African distributor, Scottish Knitwear Group, was planning on opening a store in Johannesburg this summer called Black White Denim, essentially ripping them off, and even going as far as to use phrases taken from the Black White Denim website, blatantly infringing the copyright.

Founder and managing director, Jo Davies, said, “I was outraged when I found out they were stealing our name. It is even worse coming from a company attached to a name like Pringle. We’re a small independent who has carved a livelihood by establishing a clear niche through a well thought-out, hard-won concept in which we have invested all we have. Now our whole business is under threat from a mass distributor cynically attempting to piggy-back on our concept.”

Black White Denim has written to Scottish Knitwear Group, requesting that they change the store’s name. However, Scottish Knitwear Group insist they are going ahead with their plans as they were ‘initiated with absolutely no ill intent’, leaving BWD to pursue the matter through the courts.

As fans of BWD's innovative concept and amazing brand choices, we were both saddened to hear of yet ANOTHER independent being treated like this by larger bods in the same industry. It's really unfair and you'd hope that once the matter was brought to the offending company's attention then they would realise that there has been an obvious um, mistake (ahem), and that it could all be resolved amicably but unfortunately it looks like BWD will have to fight for their right to be themselves through the courts. 

If you feel strongly about this issue and want to show your support, please click through HERE to read all about it and maybe email BWD at wereallycare@blackwhitedenim.com with a sentence explaining why you’re supporting the fight! Every bit of support could help, even if it's just with lifting morale at the store with a few nice words. Being independent definitely doesn't mean you are alone :)

Thanks for listening guys! 

Rawrgirls Over and Out.