Heritage Brands vs. Streetwear: The Unresolved Question of Who Owns Workwear's Visual Code

Levi Strauss sued Globe International on 9 June over S/Double's use of back-pocket tabs, claiming trademark infringement on a design it has claimed since 1936. The case exemplifies a decades-long tension: as workwear aesthetics became embedded in contemporary fashion, the boundary between homage and infringement blurred. Courts have not ruled consistently on whether heritage marks can claim exclusivity over design elements now part of a shared visual vocabulary. Each lawsuit adds precedent, but the underlying question remains open.