Kate Spade Wins Trademark Dispute Against Saturdays Surf NYC

Photo: Glamour.com

Kate Spade's new diffusion line, Kate Spade Saturday which debuted in the Spring came across resistance and opposition from Saturdays Surf NYC who complained that the name was too similar to its own. Saturdays Surf said the names would cause confusion since the logo fonts are very similar and they are both in the business of selling apparel even though marketed towards different demographics, Saturdays Surf said they planned on starting a women's line at some point.

Kate Spade Saturday is a new global lifestyle brand created to evoke the spirit of Saturday seven days a week and has lower prices compared to Kate Spade New York but contains the same colorful and optimistic vibe. Whereas, Saturdays Surf is a retailer selling surf gear and ready-to-wear accessories for men in SoHo and West Village as well as in Tokyo.

Gucci Appeals Milan Court's Ruling in Guess' Favor

Photo: Gucci

"If at first you don't succeed, try try again."  This seems to be Gucci's motto as it decided to appeal Milan court's dismissal of its infringement claims against Guess this past May.  Gucci requested the decision be overturned and all evidence of "brand infringement and unfair and parasitic competition against Guess be admitted." 

Gucci issued a statement saying:

"The appeal is a necessary action to protect its extraordinary historic wealth of iconic distinctive signs, famous the world and, more generally, to protect the values of creativity and innovation of quality of Made in Italy products.  Gucci, in fact, considers this sentence as potentially dangerous for the protection of the inestimable wealth of intellectual property represented by Made in Italy products."

Book Review: The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation

I came across this book while browsing inside Strand Bookstore in Greenwich Village and after reading the first couple of pages, I was captivated and knew I had to read the entire book.   The premise of the book is that despite preconceived notions that intellectual property laws spur creativity and innovation by protecting those ideas and the originator of those ideas, the authors, Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman propose instead innovation thrives and is greater when there is no intellectual property protection.

New York's Child Labor Law Will Change the Modeling Industry

The fashion industry which worships youth and beauty will be in for a change as the New York State legislature yesterday passed a bill proposing that models under the age of 18 be protected by the same labor laws that apply to child actors, singers, and performers.  The bill just needs to be signed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in order to become law.  His office said it is reviewing the legislation and will take several months before a decision is made.  In the likely event it does pass, what will it mean for those fashion houses hiring models under-aged models?

Isabel Marant for H&M to Debut November 14th!

Photo: H&M

My heart skipped a beat when I found out French fashion label, Isabel Marant, known for her cool and care free Parisian chic-ness has teamed up with H&M!  Isabel Marant is every cool girl's dream wardrobe at a very steep price.  Her laid-back boho yet edgy look made her a hit among trendsetters. I love browsing her collection unfortunately only to be turned away by the price.  However, the collection for H&M should be priced similarly to past collaborations making it very accessible for budget-conscious fashion lovers.  My imagination is running wild with all the possibilities!  I cannot wait to see the looks from the collaboration because I know it will be amazing! (Continue reading to check out the Isabel Marant for H&M video!)

Louis Vuitton Files Criminal Lawsuit Against Hermès

Photo: Judy Wu

The tension between LVMH and Hermès is here to stay.  Just a few weeks before the French market regulator is expected to decide LVMH's fate for secretly amassing a large stake in Hermès, LVMH decides to file a criminal complaint against an Hermès manager for slander.  The manager's identity has not been disclosed but LVMH is claiming that the manager made implications that LVMH acted fraudulently.  The media has speculated that the lawsuit is against Hermès International's CEO, Patrick Thomas.  

J.Crew Profit Slips But Sales Are Up - Why I'm Not Surprised!

Photo: J.Crew

J.Crew Group Inc., a privately held company which owns J.Crew, known for its colorful preppy chic clothing, and Madewell, a more rustic but hipper sister store, reported its first quarter earning today with a 4.5% decrease in profit but store sales are up 5% and revenue increased 12%.  This means they are selling more but their margins are lower and expenses are off-setting revenue. 

I can't say I'm surprised as J.Crew and Madewell have been having amazing sales this year.  I don't even bother looking at regular-priced items anymore because I can find relatively current items marked down and a good variety and selection too; it's just overall a better deal in the sales racks. Both online and in stores seems like there's a continuous sale everyday. J.Crew has been promoting 25% off everything (or 30% off with a J.Crew card) and these promotions seem to be more frequent these days.  Of course I had to stop by J.Crew after work to check it out and boy am I glad I did!