A Designer Says His Blazer Shirts Were Copied by Portland Gear

Ripoff City, baby?

Ah, that warm, rosy afterglow of a playoff series win, filled with booze, hugs and allegations of design theft.

For more than a year, designer Evan McCarthy has been documenting instances of what he says are thefts of his designs by the local apparel company Portland Gear.

The latest instance: a run of shirts that read "Rain City" and feature Tilikum Crossing. McCarthy says they're ripoffs of his own "Rip City" designs from 2014 and 2016.

His designs are themselves parodies of Golden State's "The City" jerseys. McCarthy released his, with Rip City and the Steel Bridge in place of the Golden Gate Bridge, in 2014. Among the Instagram accounts to like it back then: Portland Gear.

McCarthy drew attention to the shirts' similarities May 12 on Twitter—where outrage against Portland Gear went viral.

McCarthy was scathing toward Portland Gear founder Marcus Harvey. He points to two other designs—not parodies—that later appeared reflected on Portland Gear shirts.

"If he wants to say he forgot about it, whatever, I can't say if he did or did not," says the 34-year-old McCarthy, who works under the name Evanem and won WW's 2016 Reader Poll for Best Visual Artist.

Harvey, 29, denies he stole the idea and says the Rain City jerseys were a product of his "messing around with designs" in his office on the Saturday before Game 7.

"Then it turns out [McCarthy] had made this shirt four years ago," Harvey says. "Everyone says I ripped him off, and it's just blown way out of proportion. People don't understand the origins of that artwork," which originated with the Warriors in 1966. He says the other similar designs were the results of coincidence or confusion.

Harvey says he's not bothered by the ripoff allegations, but has seen accusations that he and the company are outsiders preying on the last dregs of Portland cool. He was born in Portland, grew up in Hillsboro and went to the University of Oregon.

McCarthy doesn't buy Harvey's explanation.

"It's a bummer when people that have more influence can come in and do that without consequences, then say whoops," said McCarthy, who moved to New Orleans in November. "It doesn't bother me, but some people do this for a living. I can see it crushing other people, other designers."

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