Brooklyn Feminist Designer Says ModCloth Stole Her Print

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — A Brooklyn designer accused a Walmart-owned clothing store of selling t-shirts with her image, which she created to support women’s charities, without her permission.

Deva Pardue, a graphic designer and the design director of the women’s workspace The Wing, accused ModCloth of using her Femme Fists design — which was supposed to raise money for The Center for Reproductive Rights and Emily’s List — to make a profit the company did not share with the artist.

In a tweet published Tuesday, Pardue called the move, “A shameful example of huge corporations profiting from grass roots movements.”

.@modcloth owned by @walmart stole and monetized my copyrighted Femme Fists image which was designed to raise money for women's orgs. They've since ignored two cease & desist letters from my lawyer. A shameful example of huge corporations profiting from grass roots movements. pic.twitter.com/YZUXkNZnXT
— Deva Pardue (@DevaPardue) December 19, 2017

Femme Fists was first launched in January 2017 though For All Womankind, a design initiative Pardue created after the 2016 election to that raises money for feminist causes, she said.

Pardue said sales from the popular (and copyrighted) Femme Fists design — which shows three clenched and manicured hands rising up — has already earned $12,000 for the charitable causes For All Womankind supports and $5,000 more will go to a yet-to-be decided organization that fights sexual harassment.

Pardue discovered in October that ModCloth — an online vintage store that was bought by the Walmart subsidiary Jet in March — had used her design when Instagram followers began sending her screenshots of ModCloth's $29 t-shirt, entitled "Opportunity For Unity Graphic Tee."

"ModCloth has always known that ladies rock," the description reads. "Which is why we're proud to carry this exclusive graphic tee."

The designer was outraged because she had spent months working nights and weekends packaging and shipping her work, without any profit to herself, so that women's charities could benefit.

“I find it extremely frustrating when something pure and grass roots is coopted and monetized by huge corporations,” she wrote in an email. “They didn’t even bother to change the colors.”

Pardue’s attorney sent ModCloth two cease-and-desist letters, and eventually the online retailer stopped selling the shirts on their website, she said.

But the company has not responded to her requests to disclose the revenue they made, destroy existing inventory and pay her a retroactive licensing fee.

So Pardue is trying to drum up support on social media because she doesn’t know any other way to take on the corporation, she said.

“These huge companies are just assuming I can't afford to sue them, which I can't.”

Pardue’s followers, many of whom purported to be ModCloth fans, took to social media to show their support.

"That's really disappointing," wrote Twitter user @ChristyRunsDC. "I've always loved @ModCloth. May reconsider shopping there now."

"I'm a huge @modcloth fan and this is pretty messed up," added Kelly Bergeron. "So sorry to see this happen!"

"Maybe ModCloth can make a version reading, "FIGHT LIKE A REPUBLICAN SENATOR OR CONGRESSMAN", where the fists are grasping money," suggested @vllg, before adding, succinctly, "Piracy sucks."

ModCloth did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Correction: The original version of this story misidentified Pardue as a founder of The Wing.

Header Image: Femme Fists Illustration, ® Copyright Deva Pardue, For All Womankind