Eight years after the famous Prada Marfa art installation was erected, the Texas Department of Transportation is calling for its removal. Its claims: It's an “illegal outdoor advertising sign." As The Fashion Law reports, this decision similarly relates to the recent building of another installation by Playboy on the same highway, except there's one major flaw in its claim: Prada Marfa, while it may appear to be the chicest luxury store in the middle of nowhere, is not a store at all. In fact, Prada Marfa has nothing to do with Prada, except that the fashion house allows artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset to use its highly respected name.
These recent allegations by the Texas DOT technically do not hold up, as the article explains. While Playboy paid for its installation, there were no real Prada dollars invested in its faux storefront. No money means no advertising, right? That's the decision that will need to be made before taking down an important and, yes, very cool piece of art. We'll keep you posted on how this ends. (The Fashion Law)
Photo: Via The Fashion Law.