“It’s always been a part of the M.I.A. culture – to talk about bootlegs, and people that sell them or make them,” explains M.I.A. “When I was approached by Versace, it seemed like a good idea to take that and reverse the cycle.  Versace designs have been bootlegged, now it’s Versace bootlegging the bootleg for the bootleggers to bootleg the bootleg.”

Bootleg or re-bootleged, M.I.A x Versus Versace finally sees the light with a 19-piece collection. The Grammy-award winning artist and Versus Versace have created powerfull prints inspired by bootleg Versace merchandise found by M.I.A. in London markets as a teenager. “I adore the energy of the street, so when M.I.A. proposed to expose the issue of counterfeit Versace pieces by creating a collaboration inspired by these items, I thought it was an incredible idea,”Donatella said. “The collection represents all that I love of the new Versus Versace: it’s fast, it’s noisy, it’s brazen and it blends the world of music with that of fashion. I can’t wait to see it worn.”

M.I.A. x Versus Versace will hit stores on Oct. 16. By now, you can visit their website, full of gifs animations characterized by an amazing popular digital aesthetic. Aesthetic that seems to be an integral part of M.I.A’s corporate identity.