Louis Vuitton recently hit up XXL about Rick Ross wearing fake LV sunglasses on the cover of their magazine, now the rapper is trying to explain. Rick Ross says that the glasses he wore on the cover were customized with solid gold accents by Jacob Bernstein, also known as "The Sunglasses Pimp."
"It’s the same thing as buying a Rolls Royce and having it tricked out; just because the product has been customized by me doesn’t take away from the fact that the frames are authentic Louis Vuitton Millionaires," Bernstein says, who has customized glasses for Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyonce, Fergie and even Brad Pitt. Michael D. Pantalony, a Louis Vuitton Malletier, countered the statement by saying "We were dismayed to see the cover," continuing "Because the photo has generated considerable confusion among your readers and Louis Vuitton customers among others, we feel it is important to clarify several points.”
Pantalony went on to say "The first is that the sunglasses Mr. Ross is wearing were not made by Louis Vuitton, and in fact, are counterfeit." He continues "Louis Vuitton did not grant permission to Mr. Ross or to whoever did make the sunglasses to use our trademarks. The second is that no affiliation, sponsorship or association exists between Rick Ross or XXL and Louis Vuitton. The third is that counterfeiting is illegal."