Everyone Is Wrong About the Beyoncé-Popeye’s Controversy

It seems like the entire world has been going crazy for Beyoncé’s new line of Ivy Park clothes and shoes.

The highly anticipated collaboration with Adidas led to a pre-sale that swept through the internet and sold out before anyone had a chance to catch their breath. Considering the hype, it’s no wonder people are giving Popeye’s new clothing line a suspicious look. The source of the best chicken sandwich in fast food is now trying to move into the vacuum left by Ivy Park and provide a source for some off-brand lookalikes.

It would be tempting to say that Popeye’s is just jealous that they aren’t the center of the latest viral craze, and that is what a lot of people are implying. But the truth is that Popeye’s is not ripping off Beyoncé’s style. They’re just pointing out the fact that it was their look first.

Obviously they’re borrowing some of the aesthetics of Ivy Park’s ad campaign, but that’s just to make the point clearer. The combination of burgundy and orange isn’t exactly common, and it’s been Popeye’s color scheme since the beginning of time. You could try to say it’s a coincidence, but it’s hard to imagine that Beyoncé wasn’t familiar with Popeye’s whole brand, considering she has a lifetime membership. So forget about Ivy Park, and go support the original fashion icon by buying yourself a Popeye’s uniform.