Fashion designer sues Lego over leather jacket worn by toys Antoni on ‘Queer Eye’ set

Fashion designer James Concannon, whose outfits are often worn by Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski, filed a lawsuit against the Danish toy company in a Connecticut district court in December. According to the complaint obtained by CNN, Concannon confirmed that in 2018 he made a custom leather jacket with a “signature propaganda-infused aesthetic” for Porowski, after several of his designs appeared on “Queer Eye” since 2017.

The New York-based designer, who is seeking damages, accused Lego of making a “blatant copy” of the jacket without his permission.

A comparison of Concannon’s leather jacket and a Lego statue is included in the complaint’s copy. Credit: US District Court Connecticut

A side-by-side comparison of a leather jacket made by Concannon and a Lego toy figurine shows similarities such as the peace sign on the left collar, and the skull design on the right side of the chest.

Concannon claims that Lego did not seek the designer’s permission to use the “unique placement, coordination and arrangement of individual artistic elements” in its original creation for the figurine jacket and did not compensate him for his work.

Lego did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

He went on to state that Lego “exploited the Concannon Jacket during the aggressive marketing of the ‘Fab 5 Loft’ set and also made an animated version of the jacket.

Concannon confirmed that he designed a leather jacket for Porowski in 2018. Credit: Christopher Smith/Netflix

The lawsuit further adds that a Lego customer service representative allegedly offered Concannon a “free Fab 5 Loft set — which retails for $99.99 — for his six-year-old son to play,” only for the company to withdraw the offer. , says “Lego doesn’t give away its products for free.”

Concannon seeks redress for willful infringement.

Lego has been producing branded sets targeting adult collectors for years. In addition to the popular “Star Wars” series, fans can also purchase sets from their favorite movies and shows including “Friends”, “Seinfeld, “Home Alone” and “Harry Potter.”

The sixth season of “Queer Eye” debuts on Netflix on December 31.