Supreme Italia, aka the other Supreme, has been filing trademarks for variations on the logo since 2015. Michele di Pierro is the rogue variant’s creator and according to a recent interview, he sees nothing wrong with his brand’s operations. Supreme’s James Jebbia, however, describes their behavior as “a whole new level with this criminal enterprise” denouncing his business as a “counterfeit organization”
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, di Pierro said that “Our success is not based on the box logo,” he said, “It’s the quality.” According to the interview, Mr. di Pierro claims he is making fashion accessible to young people by selling more affordable items and that his clothes are enjoying success because the fabric is lightweight, “making it more wearable in warm climates.”
Di Pierro has apparently worked in the textile industry for decades and specifically studied the rise of streetwear. Nevertheless, he was apparently unaware of the existence of Supreme. He told the WSJ “When I filed for registration in Italy, I did it in good faith,” and that “I didn’t know it even existed. It wasn’t popular in Italy. There wasn’t even a store.”
According to documents obtained by the WSJ, before launching Supreme Italia, di Pierro operated a sportswear business which went bankrupt, and was convicted of fraud in relation to that bankruptcy. You can read the full story at Wall Street Journal.