Luxury fashion company, Versace, is catching some major heat from the hockey world this week. On Thursday morning, a Twitter user uploaded a picture of a retro Vancouver Canucks jersey beside a brand new and hella expensive Versace sweater. We know, this already sounds like a streetwear mood board, but the tweet was actually used to call out Versace for allegedly ripping off the beloved NHL team.
The tweet's poster, Ashleigh Ragutero, roasted the influential Italian label for blatantly jacking her hometown team's retro logo. "Dear Versace, if you're gonna plagiarize the old Canucks logo, you could've at least done a better job," Ragutero began. "It looks like the old logo's been turned inside out & tilted on a different angle. At least with the 'Nucks jerseys, you could get your name on them…for a lot cheaper."
It only took a few hours before the post was shared thousands of times, with many hockey fans joining in to shame Versace for stealing a classic emblem. Of course, there were others who cited the mimicry as an artful nod to hockey history. Regardless of the purpose behind the nearly $1300 sweater, the similarities behind the two pieces are completely unmissable.
If you happen to be a fan of Canada's favourite pastime, you're likely familiar with the infamous "Flying Skate" logo utilized by Vancouver from 1978-1997. The busy-looking crest was originally designed by San Francisco artist, Mike Bull, who drew inspiration from bolder pop art styles of the late '70s. After its official unveiling, fans were quick to draw comparisons to plates of spaghetti and waffle irons, before eventually settling on the much cooler "Flying Skate" nickname.
The new look was a drastic change for the Canucks, who traded in their blue and green theme for a unique Halloween getup that was totally unmistakable on the ice. Needless to say, the dope Flying Skate logo and accompanying jerseys quickly became iconic in the NHL, and are now engrained in Vancouver sports history. Versace has yet to comment on their bootleg Canucks gear, but let's hope they launch an official NHL capsule next time they want on-ice inspiration.
