While rebel MC-with-a-cause M.I.A.’s accolades for performance and artistry are well-deserved, she may need to work on her merchandising skills (and karma, for that matter).
In a recent post on Theme magazine’s blog, fashion designer Samia Malik, founder of the label ihtgw, claims that in 2007 the charismatic Sri Lankan rapper’s brother, Sugu, solicited Malik’s designs for a collection of M.I.A. T-shirts.
But following several meetings, Malik asserts that M.I.A.’s team went incommunicado—and then subsequently sold her designs sans remuneration. “I thought they didn’t like the samples, and weren’t going to use them. M.I.A launched her webstore in early August 2007, and she was selling T-shirts I sampled, technically I had 50% design rights over those t shirts,” she writes.
Why Malik is only coming forward now with this account is unknown. But pending verification of her allegations (we’ve reached out to M.I.A.’s label for comment), this may be a cautionary tale for any fashion or graphic designer wanting to work for a celeb. Don’t get too excited until you’ve got an executed contract in place. —Loren Tyler
Photo: M.I.A. performing at the Coachella music festival in April. Photo by Kiino Villand, www.kiinovilland.com.
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