Verdy Accuses Phillip Lim of Copying Girls Don’t Cry Design, Brand Says It Has 'Paused All Marketing' of Shirt
“I’m very angry and sad because Girls Don’t Cry is very special to me,” Verdy said.
Verdy has accused Phillip Lim of copying his Girls Don’t Cry brand in his latest collection.
The focus here, as pointed out by Verdy himself on Instagram, is a t-shirt design emblazoned with the phrase “Don’t Cry Tonight” in a Girls Don’t Cry-esque font. While some had speculated that this could have been a sly way of teasing a forthcoming, full-fledged collaboration between the two, Verdy says that is not the case.
“[Phillip Lim] copied my work in his Spring ’25 collection,” the previous ComplexCon host said on Instagram on Tuesday. “I didn’t design this nor is this an official collaboration with me. I don’t want my fans to get confused. If you truly support, please go comment on their page to let them know this is not okay.”
In the same Stories update, the artist and designer tagged both Lim’s personal page and his 3.1 Phillip Lim brand page.
Verdy continued by noting the personal importance of his Girls Don’t Cry brand.
“I’m very angry and sad because Girls Don’t Cry is very special to me,” he wrote. “A lot of people don’t know this but [Girls Don’t Cry is] actually a gift for my wife. I started it when she wasn’t at her best to remind her that she’s a strong positive woman.”
In a follow-up post, Very shared the same statement, this time alongside a photo of the designer in question.
Image via Verdy on Instagram
Image via Verdy on Instagram
As of this writing, Lim himself had not publicly commented on Verdy's statement. However, a statement shared on the 3.1 brand's official IG addressed the issue, revealing that a decision had been made to "[pause] all marketing" on the shirt in question.
“As part of our Spring 25 NYFW runway collection we showcased a t-shirt which featured the words 'Don't Cry Tonight' on it,” the statement reads. “The inspiration was vintage slogan t-shirts and a nod to a song featured in our runway show 'Don't Cry Tonight'. Today, fellow artist Verdy alerted us that he believes we have plagiarized his project's 'Girls Don't Cry’ design. We take this statement very seriously and are in direct contact with the Verdy team to resolve.”
The statement continued, “As an immediate action, we have paused all marketing of this t-shirt and are committed to resolving it together. Our communication with Verdy is open. We respect their point of view and sincerely apologize.”
Image via 3.1 Phillip Lim on Instagram
Verdy Appointed Creative Partner at Human Made
ComplexCon Hong Kong Enlists Verdy as Artistic Director
Kenzo Enlists Verdy for New Collection