Belgian Publisher Challenges Whether Citizens of Humanity’s Public Values Extend to Its Business Partners

Lawsuit alleges fashion brand received and used custom publications created to support its image while failing to pay the company that produced them.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, November 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Drukkerij-Uitgeverij die Keure NV, a Belgium public limited company specializing in high-quality printing and lithography services, has filed a civil complaint against Los Angeles-based premium denim label Citizens of Humanity, LLC in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract and related claims arising from unpaid printing, lithography, and shipping services provided for a Citizens of Humanity fashion publication.

Citizens of Humanity has built a public reputation around responsibility, integrity, sustainability, community engagement, and support for positive social impact. As the company states, on its website, its operations are guided by core values such as commitment to quality without compromise, philanthropy, and investment in a better future.

According to Die Keure’s complaint, the fashion brand failed to pay for a custom publication project that the fashion company commissioned for use in brand-focused retail events. The lawsuit alleges that Die Keure completed the printing and lithography work, shipped the finished books to destinations in the United States and abroad, and remains unpaid for services valued at $108,213.77.

The books were not an internal administrative expense or routine supplier transaction. According to court filings, the project involved premium hardcover publications created to communicate and reinforce the Citizens of Humanity brand.

“Companies devote enormous attention to the image they present to consumers,” said Jeffrey C. Mayes, counsel for Die Keure. “That image depends on the work of publishers, printers, photographers, manufacturers, logistics providers, and countless other businesses operating behind the scenes. The question raised by this case is whether the values promoted in public communications are also reflected in commercial conduct.”

Citizens denies liability and has filed a cross-complaint asserting claims against Die Keure, which the Belgian brand disputes. However, the LA-based brand’s own filing acknowledges that an agreement existed for Die Keure to produce hardcover books for Citizens’ retail-event program.

The dispute highlights an often-overlooked reality of the modern brand economy: the artists, workers and suppliers who create marketing materials, printed publications and consumer-facing experiences typically incur significant production costs before a project is ever delivered. When payment disputes arise after delivery, those businesses may bear the financial burden while the purchasing company retains the benefit of the completed work. This lawsuit seeks to determine whether that occurred here.

For Die Keure, the case is ultimately about consistency between message and conduct. Consumers increasingly evaluate brands not only on environmental and social commitments, but also on how they treat employees, contractors, suppliers, and business partners, as well as the connection between the brand’s public values and its commercial conduct. Responsibility is not measured only by the sustainability claims it makes; it also includes how the company treats third parties whose work brings its image to market.

The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, account stated, and unjust enrichment. Citizens’ cross-complaint asserts claims for breach of contract, intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, and fraudulent concealment. Die Keure disputes Citizens’ allegations, and all claims remain to be adjudicated by the court.

Die Keure is represented by Marco Castellon and Jeffrey C. Mayes of Druven PC, the case number is 26NWCV02032, filed at the Superior Court of the State Of California, County of Los Angeles, Norwalk Courthouse.

About Die Keure
Die Keure is a publishing group based in Bruges, Belgium with offices in New York City, US. Funded after World War II as a government printing office, the legal publishing division was established in the early 1960s. It also publishes reference works and textbooks, primarily in the fields of law and economics. In addition to its publishing operations, Die Keure nv has its own graphic design studio and printing facility.

About Druven
DRUVEN is an international strategic consultancy specializing in public relations, public affairs, and legal and regulatory analysis, with offices in Los Angeles, Brussels, and Mexico City. The firm advises organizations navigating complex, high exposure environments across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. For more information, visit druven.us

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