French artist and illustrator Mathilde Cabanas and eco-friendly sneaker company Veja recently released a collaborative “Esplar” sneaker featuring Cabanas’s “Bijou” logo. While the adult shoes sold out not long after they hit retail, there are pairs available in kids sizes.
Meanwhile, Cabanas is still in the midst of battling giant French clothing company IKKS over use the illegal use of her logo.
In an interview with Konbini, Cabanas shared her struggle in protecting the logo she copyrighted in 2014. “Honestly, just the lawyer letter and bailiff cost me about $2,241. And a trial would cost me twice more. For such a small business as mine, it really puts it in jeopardy, and I don’t even have a 100 percent chance of winning the trial,” said Cabanas, who added, “When it comes to Bisou, I’ve been working with many brands which pay me royalties to use my design so how do you think they react when they hear that IKKS is using it for free? The IKKS garments spoil my professional image and the image of my design.”
The children’s sneakers as well as other items designed by Cabanas are available at shop.mcabanas.com.