When you look back at the women’s march and the signs that we’re displayed with so much passion and meaning, it can bring a tear to your eye. That was certainly the case for Shannon Downey, who created the iconic piece of art featuring the words ‘Boys will be boys' with 'boys' crossed out and replaced with 'held accountable for their fucking actions’. It was carried by thousands of people across America as a symbol of feminism and power and led Shannon to create a free design pattern so activists could stitch it themselves and wear it with pride.
Her intention with this was to create wearable art without profiting from it, because the commodification of feminism arguably demeans the message. However, one company has taken it upon themselves to profit from Shannon’s art, the high-street fashion brand Lasula.
You may know Lasula from Instagram, they create form fitting clothes that are promoted by all of your favourite reality-TV stars at a low price. Their jeans are emblazoned with ‘grl pwr’ (apparently, vowels are SO not trendy) and t-shirts ‘badass bitch’. Yet, despite seemingly pushing a feminist agenda, they also apparently steal art from young female artists and then offer pitiful solutions to rectify it.
The slogan ‘boys will be boys held accountable for their fucking actions’ has ‘inspired’ other brands before, according to Shannon, but this was ‘clearly the most egregious infringement’ she’s ever seen.
Embroidered onto a pair of skinny jeans with the description, ‘pair with a body suit and boots for the ultimate babe vibe’, the jeans were promoted by various other fashion bloggers before being called out for their stolen design and taken down. Lasula haven’t issued any sort of statement, they’ve simply taken down the product and social media posts and ‘disposed of the products’, Shannon told The Debrief.
‘I had a conversation with someone called Mike, that he started by apologising and then asking how they could make it right, to which I asked him “well how do you think this should be made right?”,’ she tells me, ‘he didn’t have any answers’.
Asking for a licensing agreement, which Shannon declined, then offering to give her ‘more credit’ (they had already included her name in the product description- despite making zero contact with her), to which she told them ‘I don’t want my art associated with your company’, they finally offered her $250 compensation, which she also declined. The conversation ended with him asking her to remove her Instagram posts about them, which she, in turn, declined.
For Shannon, this isn’t about money - she explains that she purposefully chose not to make a profit from the original design, because she is truly against the commodification of feminism.
‘I really don’t profit from a lot of my work because its designed to inspire other people to take action, to do something, to think about something differently, to put down their device and make art too,’ she continued, ‘this particular piece had so much meaning and so much outrage behind it, then to have it go so viral and have so many women connect to it and use it as the illustration for the really personal, really brave sharing of their metoo stories, to then commodify that and profit off of is just so gross to me, it’s the opposite of what I stand for’
Shannon is pursuing legal action, however what she really wants is to start a conversation about it - as is her intention with all of her art.
‘I want people to be thinking and talking about it, because I don’t think there are clear answers’, when it comes to plagiarism in the digital age, she tells me, ‘there are certainly some clear lines that get crossed, but I feel like digital and social media have really blurred who owns what and how we credit people.’
‘It’s incumbent upon all of us to be having these conversations in order to decide what is fair and what crediting the creator of something look like in this digital age,’ she continues, ‘I’ve heard so many times like “well everybody does it” and I’m like “okay, but should everybody do it?” and “what would it look like if we were doing this equitably and considering the person who created it?”’
It’s an important question, especially when it comes to political slogans that are often created with the intention not to profit, but to inspire, as was the case with Shannon. However, in highlighting her collision with Lasula we can hope to start a conversation, not just about how we credit digital art and consider smaller artists who so often are ignored when they speak up about plagiarism, but also the way that brands are profiting from feminist messages despite being oblivious to the cause.
Click through to see other inspirational women you should follow on Instagram...
Inspirational Instagram Accounts You Should Follow
1 of 24Women In Comics
Illustrating inspirational images and depicting women in comic form, this account will brighten up your timeline with some home truths in the form of pretty pictures.
2 of 24Adwoa Aboah
This insanely beautiful model founded GURLS TALK, an online community where women from all backgrounds can share their personal experiences in a safe space.
3 of 24Alicia Garza
Alicia is an editor and activist who co-created #BlackLivesMatter. Her feed is a mixture of relatable memes, unfiltered selfies and educational posts to keep you woke.
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4 of 24Amandla Stenberg
You might recognise this actor from The Hunger Games, when she played the character only character we cried endless tears for, Rue. Now, while still acting, she's a full-fledged activist posting about everything gender, feminism and black culture.
5 of 24MuslimGirl/Amani
Amani created the fast-growing activism account @MuslimGirl, another one you should definitely follow. She has spoken across the world about Muslim women and posts everything from badass selfies to stats you need to know.
6 of 24Amber Amour
Amber created @CreatingConsentCulture which aims to educate people on rape culture and support rape and sexual assault survivors. She's also outspoken about racism and sex work, her feed will be endless many dinner party talking points.
7 of 24Amber Rose
You may only know Amber Rose as Kanye's ex, but think again. Amber is a sex positivity icon, with her own pocast 'Loveline with Amber Rose' up until 2018 that aimed to promote healthy sexual relationships and self-love. If you can get past the fact she advertised flat tummy tea once (fgs Amber), you'll love her feminism-filled feed.
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8 of 24Beverly Bond
Author of 'Black Girls Rock', Beverly's posts will have you both inspired and enraged, filled with commentary on everyday injustices.
9 of 24Bree Newsome
You may recognise Bree as the activist who took down the confederate flag from a flagpole outside the South Carolina Capitol building. She's continuing her activism with inspiring art you need to see.
10 of 24Cameron Russell
An american model who called out the fashion industry for sexual harassment and assault, she started the #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse hashtag. Her instagram is full of inspiring stories and educational videos exposing different injustices within her industry and beyond.
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11 of 24Iskra Lawrence
If your not already following Iskra, your living under an Instagram rock. The body positive model started her own business, everyBODY with Iskra, to give health and fitness advice beyond just getting super skinny. You need her body posi vibes in your life.
12 of 24Jessamyn
Another super body positive account to follow, Jessamyn is a yoga teacher regularly posting about the emotional and physical benefits of body positivity and practicing yoga.
13 of 24Joanna Thangiah
Shun your timeline of filtered selfies and over exposed holiday destinations. It's time for some feminist, mental health aware art! This account is amazing for cute cartoons that say everything we're already feeling.
14 of 24Judy Reyes
You'll probably remember Judy as Carla from Scrubs, or one of the other thousand TV show she's been in throughout her insanely successful career. Unlike most Hollywood actors, her Insta is full of activism and news you need to know.
15 of 24Logan Browning
Activist and actor, Logan Browning is the lead of Netflix hit Dear White People. Posting powerful content and links to charities you can donate to so you can turn your online activism into action- she's a force to be reckoned with.
16 of 24Makers Women
MAKERS is a storytelling platform for women, posting quotes to keep you inspired throughout the day. Stay up to date with gender injustice, while also feeling hopeful with the powerful words these amazing women have to say.
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17 of 24Nimisha Bhanot
Another artist you need to follow, Nimisha creates amazing prints (which you can buy) critiquing societal perceptions of South Asian women. She's based in Canada, but these prints can brighten up your timeline anywhere.
18 of 24Muslim Girl
Muslim Girl, where 'muslim women talk back' is an account ran by Amani. Advocating for issues facing muslim women, both accounts are an inspiration and necessity on your feed.
19 of 24Project Consent
There's no time like the present to be educating people on consent. This account does exactly that, and gives you the perfect explanations, comebacks and reminders to throw out at a dinner party if the issue comes up.
20 of 24Rowan Blanchard
Gone are the days of Disney stars going off the rails, this actor and activist is a beacon of positivity- especially online. Fighting gender and race injustice and beyond, she's one to watch.
21 of 24Rupi Kaur
Rupi made headlines in 2015 when she posted pictures of her on Instagram with visible menstrual blood. Her posts were blocked by Instagram, causing backlash against the social media platform. She continues to break boundaries with her writing and poetry.
22 of 24Sophie King
This UK based embroidery artist is an up-and-coming star, embroidering feminist slogans onto everything from bras to roses. Bring her insta to life with her slogan t-shirts, or just stare at the pretty pictures, either way she's someone you should follow.
23 of 24The Vulva Gallery
Our favourite of all the accounts, the vulva gallery promotes self-love in an area SO often ignored. With two-thirds of women avoiding smear tests, life-saving procedures, because of the look of their vagina, it's time we stopped all of the self-loathing around genitals. Providing a regular reminder that all vaginas are beautiful, if you only follow one account of this list, it should be this one.
24 of 24Trash Is For Tossers
Lauren Singer lives an entirely waste-free life. Yes, you can actually do that. As #plasticfree takes over our news feed, it's time you had some daily advice on how exactly to reduce your waste. Save the planet!
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.