Appeals Court Denies Macy's Injunction Against J.C. Penney

Photo: David Handschuh/Bloomberg

Macy's request for a preliminary injunction against J.C. Penney has been denied by the  Appellate Court, giving JCP the right to continuing selling items designed by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia ("MSLO").  These items will be sold under the "JCP Everyday" label and cannot bear or be marketed under Martha Stewart's name.  Macy's requested the preliminary injunction in order to stop JCP from selling these products while the two companies litigate the claim in New York State Supreme Court before Judge Oing.  The New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division decision upholds Judge Oing's April 12th ruling in favor of JCP which will allow the company to avoid a estimated $100 million loss.  

Bangladesh Factory Collaspe Kills Hundreds; Owner Arrested

A.M. Ahad/Associated Press

Last Wednesday, Rana Plaza, an eight story building housing several factories collapsed in what is one of the deadliest in recent history for Bangladesh's garment industry.  At least 362 people have died from the collapse and still counting.  The building was built without a permit and the day before the collapse, an inspection team discovered large cracks within the structure.  First floor shops closed immediately but the owners of garment businesses on the higher floors still ordered workers to report for work the next day.  

Former Victoria's Secret Model, Kylie Bisutti, Causes Controversy

Photo: Wire Image

Although I'm not personally a big fan of the NY Post for its sensationalist news reporting, I admit I loved reading the article they wrote on Kylie Bisutti, a former Victoria's Secret model. The article contains an excerpt of her book, I'm No Angel: From Victoria's Secret Model to Role Model and an interview with Bisutti that goes into the horrors of the modeling industry and her struggle between what the modeling world wanted of her and what God wanted of her as a Christian.  

Petition Started to Stop Galliano From Teaching at Parsons

John Galliano who is currently "unemployed" and still in the midst of a lawsuit with his former employers Galliano and Dior (the companies) stemming from anti-Semitic remarks made in a Paris cafe last year was recently taken on by Parson, a top design school, to teach a three day workshop called, "Show Me Emotion". 

Parsons said the workshop "will be a dynamic and intimate opportunity for our students to learn from an immensely talented designer" and then goes on to address his past behavior saying, "We believe that over the past two years Galliano has demonstrated a serious intent to make amends for his past actions."

Attention Pregnant Ladies: Zara Adds Maternity Line!!

Zara.com, the website I spend all my down time at work scrolling and obsessing through, has quietly launched a maternity collection online under the Women's section "Mum".  It features skinny jeans with elastic waist and over-sized tops for a very relaxed but trendy and comfortable look.  Not all of the pictures feature the baby bump and were probably just taken from other sections but are still very wearable for pregnant women.  I have no doubt that these will be popular.  My only hope is that Zara will continue to expand and add looks to the maternity section since there aren't many fashionable yet affordable clothing for pregnant women who still want to be stylish while sporting a baby bump. After all, we can't all afford dress like Kate Middleton and Kim Kardashian! 

We All Have to Pay Online Sales Taxes (& What Ebay Thinks About That)

Remember the good ol' days when you could buy something from Amazon and have it shipped to you faster than you'd have time to make it to a store to purchase it yourself and with no sales tax (AKA the "Amazon loophole)? Well, you can still have it shipped to you faster than you'd have time to make it to a store but now you'll just have to pay sales tax. Those days are a distant memory for Amazon as they now have agreed to charge sales tax and soon many online retailers will be forced to do the same.  

Ralph Lauren Settles Foreign Bribery Case After Self-Reporting Violation

Ralph Lauren Corp. settled charges from the Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC") and U.S. Department of Justice that it had paid bribes to foreign customs officials in Argentina in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA").  The 1977 FCPA prohibits U.S. companies and companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges from bribing foreign officials. The settlement amount of $1.6 million will end investigations over the bribery which is said to have spanned four years from 2005 to 2009 made by a RL subsidiary to custom officials in order to obtain entry of RL's products into the country without necessary paperwork, to avoid inspections of prohibited products and inspections by customs officials.