Justin and Hailey Bieber. took a stand (Photo: Getty Images)
Not all of us have the access to purchase merchandise from our favorite artists, mainly because a large portion of these items are sold exclusively at concerts. If the same artist also has a private website that sells official merchandise, many times the price of the items plus shipping is simply not worth the investment.
Therefore, when a large popular chain teams up with a beloved musician for a merchandise collection at reasonable prices, seemingly everyone benefits. But how do we know when the collection was created in collaboration with the artist?
Bieber’s story (photo: Instagram)
The current case of Justin Bieber and H&M, for example, is particularly confusing. The global clothing chain offered T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags emblazoned with images of the pop star and lyrics from his songs, but last Monday, Bieber posted a definitive Instagram story about the collection.
“I have not endorsed anything from H&M’s March collection,” he wrote. “Everything was done without my permission or permission. I wouldn’t buy it if I were you. The items are junk and I didn’t approve them so don’t buy them.’
Do not buy my collection, I have not approved it (Photo: Getty Images)
Following the story, Bieber’s devout fans attacked the chain on social media, but from H&M’s side they paint a completely different story. “Like any product or collaboration that requires a license, H&M followed the accepted approval processes,” the chain said in an official response to the global media.
Despite the initial reaction, yesterday H&M decided to remove the collection items from the website and store shelves, but stuck to their statement that they followed the rules. “H&M complied with the rules of the approval process,” the official statement read again. “Out of respect for the collaboration and Justin Bieber, we have removed the collection from the website and stores.” What exactly happened there? It’s entirely possible that the collection went through the stages of approval by Bieber’s record company or others on his behalf, but never reached him personally, which once again raises the question of celebrity images and who has the final say over their ownership. In this case, the answer seems to be Justin Bieber.