Royal grocer Fortnum & Mason in furious row with graffiti artist

By Richard Eden for The Daily Mail Published: 17:02 EST, 23 February 2024 | Updated: 17:25 EST, 23 February 2024 Here’s a first: the King’s grocer, Fortnum & Mason, is embroiled in a furious row with a graffiti artist. James Goldcrown made his name through his repeating hearts, which he sprayed on walls in London, Los Angeles and New York, before winning commissions from brands including L’Oreal, MTV and shoemaker Skechers. The Londoner, 43, was, however, shocked to see Fortnum’s using a similar design for its Valentine’s Day display (above right) at its store in Piccadilly. Accusing it of ‘ripping off’ his designs, he claims: ‘You’d think by now larger companies like Fortnum’s would know better than to hire lazy designers who studied rip-off skills online during the pandemic. Not much today is original.’ A Fortnum & Mason spokesman acknowledges that its display was inspired by graffiti artists but denies it plagiarised Goldcrown. ‘The entire design of this packaging was inspired by street art,’ he said. ‘There are many different iterations of graffiti hearts in existence.’ (Very) modern manners Roxie Nafousi, who has been out with pop superstar Harry Styles and artist Damien Hirst, has joined a dating app for...