I guess cantankerous old musicians are like, Supreme’s thing now? Last year, Neil Young was the unlikely face of the high-end streetwear brand’s spring/summer collection (following in the footsteps of Lou Reed), and this year, they’ve tapped Morrissey for some modeling work. The campaign isn’t officially underway yet, but posters of Moz wearing a Supreme tee have already started popping up in Japan and France.

16ss… #morrissey #supremenyc #supremenewyork #supremela #supremelondon #supremeharajuku #supremeshibuya #supremedaikanyama #supremeosaka #supremenagoya #supremehukuoka #supremevans #supremenike #supremethrasher #supremeantihero #supremestoneisland #supremecommedesgarcons #supremethenorthface #supremechampion #supremeplayboy

A photo posted by ?? ??? (Shotaro Kojima) (@shotaro__official) on Feb 12, 2016 at 7:05am PST

A photo posted by kevin carlsson (@coldaskevin) on Feb 13, 2016 at 7:52am PST

#streetlife 🙈🙉🙊

A photo posted by Chloe Sevigny (@chloessevigny) on Feb 12, 2016 at 7:22pm PST

So who’s next? I would say David Crosby, but…

UPDATE: Morrissey has issued an apology for associating with Supreme (via True To You). He says he doesn’t like the photograph and asked Supreme not to use it under threat of legal action. Moz also explains he did not know about the clothier’s relationship with non-vegan fast food chain White Castle (“the beef sandwich pharaoh”) at the time of the shoot…

Supreme

I apologize enormously for the enfeebled photograph of me issued this week by Supreme. The shot was taken in October 2015. I considered the photograph to be fit only for a medical encyclopedia and I pleaded with Supreme not to use it. This was before I learned that Supreme were sponsored in part by the beef sandwich pharaoh known as White Castle. Supreme were issued with a legal caution not to use the photograph and their fee would be returned. Evidently Supreme have ignored my lawyer. No safety within the corridors of law. Ugh.

I offer excessive apologies for this association. Shame is indeed the name.

Morrissey
13 February 2016.

UPDATE 2: Supreme responds…

Regarding Supreme/Morrissey:

In July of 2015 Supreme approached Morrissey to participate in one of it’s poster and T-Shirt campaigns. The scope of the project was explained in full detail to Morrissey, including the intended look, the setting, the photographer, as well as the items that would be produced: a T-Shirt and a poster. An agreement was entered which named the photographer as Terry Richardson, who has shot many of Supreme’s campaigns, and whom Morrissey has worked with before. Images of past campaigns were sent to Morrissey for reference so that the intended result was clear. Morrissey required a substantial fee for his participation in this project which Supreme paid up front and in full. The photo shoot lasted two hours and Morrissey was free to do, and pose as he wished. The agreement prohibits Morrissey from “unreasonably” withholding approval of the use of photographs taken at the photo shoot.

After offering Morrissey several options of images from the shoot, Morrissey rejected them all with no explanation. Instead, Morrissey insisted on using a photo that he had taken of himself wearing a Supreme T-shirt for the campaign. This image was later made public on Instagram by his nephew.
Unable to use this image Supreme repeatedly offered Morrissey three very reasonable options as a remedy to the impasse: 1) To do an entire re-shoot at Supreme’s sole expense, 2) To select one of the many options from the shoot with Terry Richardson that were offered to Morrissey, 3) To return the money that was paid to Morrissey by Supreme.

Morrissey repeatedly ignored all three options with no reason given as to why. He then proceeded to assert a sudden and ridiculous claim that because Supreme had used the White Castle logo on a group of products in the past, and because he is a known vegetarian, that the agreement was supposedly terminated.

In light of this ploy, Supreme once again requested the return of the money it had paid to Morrissey so that both parties could walk away from the project. However, he refused.

After many attempts to solve this problem, and left with no other viable options, Supreme proceeded to publish these images as per it’s agreement with Morrissey.

UPDATE 3: Morrissey has responded to Supreme via True To You:

Supreme, yet not

As a matter of fact, I do not have, do not want, nor do I need, any money from the company called Supreme.

If Supreme have sent money in my name then they could track it down and reclaim it – if they had NOT printed that photograph of me for their 2016 campaign.

By running prints of the photograph they have derailed their own negotiations. This is why they are angry.

The photograph is dreadful and will help neither myself nor Supreme. Who needs it? Nobody.

Supreme were warned by my lawyer and accountant that the photograph should NOT be used. Supreme ignored this advice. Hence this mess.

I write these statements because there is no one else to write them. The joy I receive from such statements is non-existent.