French Regulator to Decide Hermès - LVMH Dispute

On October 23, 2010, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA announced that they had acquired a significant stake in Hermès International, which is now at 22.3% to everyone's surprise including Hermès themselves.  We now know since 2001, LVMH has slowly been acquiring shares of Hermès below the 5% threshold in which an amount over would require disclosure under French securities laws.  The company also used complex derivatives and other financial instruments to amass its stake without tipping off the public, which may have been in violation of those securities laws.

After Four and a Half Years, Versace Wins Counterfeit Lawsuit [UPDATED]

Versace won a lawsuit against Griffith Suisse Luxury Group yesterday after four and a half years of litigation.  The lawsuit was filed over Griffith Suisse Luxury Group selling counterfeit Versace items on eBay from the Phillipines and Australia.  Versace CEO, Gian Giacomo Ferraris told WWD that he was pleased with the ruling and "counterfeit goods not only bring a dilution to the brand, but are connected to organized crime, child labor and harmful working conditions."

Further, in order to combat counterfeits, authentic Versace products now carry a Certilogo code, which allows customers to verify the authenticity of their purchase online. 

Will "Made in China" Ever Be Considered Luxury?

Photo: Shang Xia website

When one thinks of the origin of luxury goods, two countries come to mind without hesitation - Italy and France - they are the top two countries that originate the most high-end luxury brands for apparel and accessories.  Even for non-luxury brands such as J. Crew, marketing an item to the public as "Made in Italy" creates a sense that it was made with superior craftsmanship and higher quality materials which comes along with premium pricing, of course.  

Meanwhile, "Made in China" has always been synonymous with cheap materials and poorly constructed goods made with sweatshop labor.  That has been the case for decades with no Chinese labels ever catching on internationally as a luxury label.  However, as China continues to rise and the Chinese nouveau riche quench their insatiable thirst for luxury, a few Chinese brands are trying to change that - one even has the help of Hermès.

Hermès Scarves Unveiled: "No Sex. No Blood."

Photo: Hermès

I love Thursdays not just because it means the weekend is almost here but also because on Thursdays, the Wall Street Journal and New York Times have sections dedicated to fashion.  I'm always so curious to see what the story of the week will be.  This week, the WSJ featured a story on the makings of one of the most desired and revered accessories in fashion, the Hermès scarf.  Hermès scarves are a status symbol and if you've ever looked closely at one, they are an amazing work of art.  Unfortunately, at $400+ a piece, it doesn't come cheaply either.  (Check them out on Hermès' website). 

Lawsuit Filed to End Fashion Week at Lincoln Center

Residents who live around Lincoln Center are fed up with the restriction on their access to Damrosch Park, a public neighborhood park, due to commercial events such as NY Fashion Week and Big Apple Circus.  These events cause the park to be occupied 10 months out of the year.  Moreover, environmentalist complain that 67 trees had to be removed from the park in order to make room for Fashion Week tents.

Rihanna Sues Topshop for Unauthorized Use of Her Image

UK fast fashion retail giant, Topshop is being sued by Rihanna for $5 million. Topshop is selling a tank top with her image on it (as seen above) and even though Rihanna's team has tried to work out a deal with Arcadia Group, Topshop's owner, in order for them to sell the shirts, negotiations fell apart. Topshop has continued to sell the shirts without her consent forcing Rihanna to hire global law firm Reed Smith L.P to file a claim in London.

H&M and Zara Endorse Safety Accord After Rana Plaza Collapse

The collapse of Rana Plaza which to date killed over 1,100 people has finally prompted action by major retailers who rely on factories in Bangladesh to produce their garments.  Many companies have agreed to endorse a safety accord, which will be binding on retailers to create, implement and finance fire safety and building improvements.  The pact is gaining momentum in the U.S. and in Europe as fast fashion giants including H&M, Zara, Benetton, and Mango have already signed on.  

Kardashians' Khroma Beauty Forced to Change Name

Photo: Sears

Kardashians will be forced to change the name of their beauty line, Khroma Beauty to...(take a wild guess)...Kardashian Beauty! I guess they couldn't think of anything more original that started with a "K".  Nothing like slapping the Kardashian name on everything to make a pretty penny.  The name change came in light of a $10 million lawsuit by a similarly named beauty company, Kroma who won an injunction to stop sales of Kardashian's Khroma Beauty.

Phillip Lim for Target Debuts September 15, 2013!

Photo: Target

Ladies, mark your calendars! 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target is set to debut on September 15, 2013! The collection will contain looks for women and men so be sure to grab something for the men in your life.  Target has been courting Philip Lim for the last five years and the designer finally gave in because according to Lim, he was such a small brand five years ago and wasn't sure he could handle the scale of a target collection. Five year later, Lim now has 400 stores all over the world and lucky for us, is ready to commit to a Target collaboration.

Parsons Cancels Galliano Workshop

Parsons the New School for Design has cancelled the previously announced workshop taught by the controversial designer, John Galliano, who last year was found guilty of making anti-Semetic comments.  The school issued a statement explaining the circumstances that led them to cancel:

"An important element of the planned workshop with John Galliano was a candid conversation about the connection between his professional work and his actions in the world at large. Unfortunately, we could not reach consensus with Mr. Galliano on the conditions of this conversation, and the program could not move forward."

Gucci vs. GUESS: Who Won and Who Lost More Than Just the Case

Left: Guess; Right: Gucci

On May 2nd, the Milan Court presiding over the trademark infringement case filed by Gucci against GUESS ruled in Guess' favor essentially agreeing with all of their arguments.  They ruled that GUESS' diamond pattern and floral motifs are common in fashion and further that the popular GUESS Quattro G logo pattern did not infringe on Gucci's interlocking Gs.

This is surprising because one would assume that Gucci had home court advantage in Italy as the birthplace of the brand but not only did the Milan Court reject Gucci's infringement claims, they added insult to injury by cancelling 7 of Gucci's trademark registrations.  The trademarks included 3 Italian trademarks and 4 trademarks for the EU.  The Court reinforced GUESS'  defense that it was never trying to dilute Gucci's brand or confuse consumers that GUESS was Gucci.

Bangladesh Death Toll Exceeds 620

Munir Uz Zaman / AFP - Getty Images

Updates and stories from the collapse of Rana Plaza, a garment factory in Savar, Bangladesh a couple of weeks ago are still coming in strong.  The death toll has now surpassed 620 and has sparked outrage across the country and globally.  Initial government investigations said vibrations from generators located on the upper floors may have caused the collapse as the building was constructed from sub-par materials.  Locals are calling for the death penalty for the owner of the building and others involved.