The eye ones are creepy, but I am rushing out to but the Paris set right now!!

Not - and wasn't there some discussion that this idea may possibly have been ripped off from another designer?

accidental, it may not have been about this particular item, but UO is famous the world over for previewing design samples from unknown artists, sending them back with a "no thanks," and then mysteriously producing a similar product months later. The Johnny Cupcakes saga is an easily-googled example of one of their most obvious ripoffs. This probably comes up every time an urban outfitters story gets posted on AT.

I do like seeing the photos of cool stuff at the ICFF-type shows and then wondering when I'll be able to get a more affordable version of the same concept at ikea or target or from the etsy people, but it sickens me to think of megacorps luring in young unrepresented designers to suck the ideas out of them for nothing in return. Blech!

That said, I'm still guilty of digging lots of stuff at UO :( At least they seem to be trying to improve - their mass-produced mugs and cups and other stuff with neat art by artists like Wary Myers are very cool, affordable, and definitely help expose the artists.

I always thought Urban Outfitter goods were kind of crap. But, these stories give me more of a reason not to step into their stores. The company and its wingnut CEO are just plain wrong.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/evil/urban-outfitters-rips-designers-cupcake-tshirt-149095.php

http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/annotate/node/198

http://www.youthvote.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?newsid=275

Tacky

Favorite quote from the aforementioned link:

"If you wear shorts and walk by an Urban Outfitters with the door open you can feel the suck blowing out onto your legs."

Hee!