From Runway to Highway Robbery

Blake Lively Chosen As Chanel Ambassador

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:30:00 +0000

In news that will likely make the masses of Gossip Girl fans run to Chinatown for the closest Chanel knockoff, The Cut Blog reports that Karl Lagerfield has asked Blake Lively (star of the teen drama) to be a Chanel ambassador for Chanel's Mademoiselle handbag line.

Karl Lagerfield explains that Blake Lively is "a kind of American dream girl." From her effortlessly tousled hair, mile long legs, and easy smile, she inspires the love (and envy) of young women everywhere. There is no doubt that the campaign ad that features Blake Lively with a particular Chanel purse will turn that purse into the most wanted counterfeit item in America.

Blake Lively perhaps can explain why regular girls may flock to buy the fake: it is a brand that is "timeless, chic, graceful, intelligent, iconic and ever relevant." While it remains safe to say that a fake can never be those things, it doesn't stop some girls from trying.

Perhaps it is because of the magic that some designer pieces inspire. Blake Lively describes a Chanel purse in these words: "I will always feel it’s more than just a purse. It’s a quilted case full of lipstick, love letters and the dreams and possibilities that I have always felt every time I see that beautiful ‘CC.’?"

However, even though Blake Lively claims that she will carry it "like every girl," it is safe to say that at an average price of easily thousands of dollars, average girls may just have to dream.

Flea Markets: The New Fashion Fakes Hot Spot?

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:41:00 +0000

USA Today reports on a startling new trend; flea markets riddled with fashion fakes. While most shoppers know that they can find fashion fakes in places like Canal Street in NYC or Bangkok, they are turning to a place closer to home: their local flea market.

However, those fashion fakes may be more trouble than shoppers bargain for. First, law enforcement officials stress that not only do fashion fakes usually mean poor quality, it also helps fund criminal activities. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has cases that link the sale of counterfeit goods to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah.

The final issue with buying fashion fakes? It hurts the U.S. economy. It is estimated that the sale of counterfeit goods costs the U.S. economy at least $200 billion in revenue and at least 750,000 in jobs. So the next time you are tempted to buy that faux Valentino satchel, just think about how it will affect the economy. In fact, almost 80% of fashion fakes are smuggled into this country from China and are unregulated.

So the next time you stroll your flea market and come across an unbelievable fashion steal, just remember that it could be more trouble than its worth.

Raids Reveal Counterfeit Goods Intended For Holiday Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 02:30:00 +0000

The LA Times reports that the Los Angeles Police Department seized over $4 million dollars worth of counterfeit goods. Some of the counterfeit goods seized were music CDs, DVDs of movies currently in theaters such as Tron, and fashion counterfeit goods. The raids were done in conjunction with LA's antipiract task force as well as investigators from private industries.

Why should holiday shoppers care? According to City Controller Wendy Greuel, People who make counterfeit goods are stealing, plain and simple. This should serve as a wake-up call, not only to criminals that produce and sell these goods, but to all holiday shoppers out there."

Holiday shoppers looking for a bargain should beware that buying counterfeit goods actually fuel dangerous activities in their own communities. For example, buying counterfeit goods can help fund criminal gangs. It also costs local businesses close to $5.2 billion in lost revenue and $4.4 billion in lost wages each year.

Here are some tips that can help you avoid unwittingly buying a knockoff:

Buy from well known retailers or local retailers listed on a brand's website.
Be wary of "deals" that require purchases with cash.
Look at the item in question for any loose stitching or shoddy workmanship.

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Louis Vuitton's Fight Against Google Means Protected Keywords

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 03:29:00 +0000

It seems like the Europeans take Google Adwords very seriously. Louis Vuitton's fight against Google has taken it to the European Justice Court in Luxembourg; which has ruled that the search engine giant Google will have to keep track of the use of trademarked keywords that link back to advertisements on its site.

While the court held that Google did not violate the trademark law when it sold protected keywords, it did say that websites are liable for any trademark violations in the ads if they were aware of it, or had control over the data. This may place an undue burden on Google to monitor its ads.

This ruling in favor of a company defending its trademark in the realm of ad keywords is the first of its kind. Louis Vuitton, which is a part of the luxury company LMVH, will most likely use this ruling in order to battle other websites such as EBay. In fact, Mr. Pierre Gode, vice-president of Paris-based LVMH is quoted by BusinessWeek as saying: LVMH will use the ruling “to show that online referencing services such as Google and EBay do play an active and not a passive role.”

What was Google's response to this decision? According to the Los Angeles Times, the search engine giant Google released the following statement: "This long-awaited decision will be welcomed by the business community as well as by consumers. It confirms and emphasizes the critical role played by trademarks in a dynamic economy to protect innovation and the investments carried out by businesses, and will avoid confusion on behalf of consumers as to the quality of the products and services they are buying."

Do you think that the U.S. courts would rule like this? Hmmm something to think about when you are trolling the internet for that special Louis Vuitton Speedy.

Filene's Store Gets Told to Eff Off Because of Fendi

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:06:00 +0000

Does anyone remember how Samantha from Sex and the City buys a fake Fendi bag? It was interesting because the term "fake Fendi" was then used to describe anything that was a sham. This was because of Charlotte crying that her marriage was a "fake Fendi".

Here is a clip in case you forgot about this famous scene in Sex and the City here.

Well perhaps that may have been why the Italian fashion house of Fendi asked the court for an injunction against the Filene's store known as Filene's Basement to stop selling accessories bearing Fendi's name or trademark without its permission. According to Reuters, a Manhattan federal judge has granted that injunction request this week. Fendi is seeking to clear the market out of any "fake Fendi" accessories.

Fendi recently battled the retailer Burlington Coat Factory for selling counterfeit Fendi goods. This month has been particularly litigious for fashion houses in NYC. As we wrote about earlier, Burberry sued TJ Maxx. Coach sued K-Mart and LVMH is suing Hyundai over trademark violations.

Burberry Company Wins $1.5 Million Dollar Award

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:18:00 +0000

The Burberry Company has been awarded a $1.5 million dollar award in statutory damages against a New York based importer and online seller Designer Imports Inc. this past Tuesday. The judge found that the company was selling counterfeit apparel and accessories.

The funny thing is that the company had gotten into legal trouble with Burberry before back in 2007 and agreed not to sell anymore counterfeit Burberry items. When the fashion house decided to investigate and purchased Burberry items from the online store, the Burberry company found that all of them were fake.

While the judgment is favorable for Burberry, it is not the $6.5 million dollars that they had originally asked for.

Chanel Takes a Licking, But Remains Victorious

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:57:00 +0000

Chanel history will show how the fashion luxury brand went from being imitated, to being blamed of forgery....only to be exonerated.

Chanel was charged with forgery (the blasphemy!) four years ago by one of its smaller suppliers World Tricot.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a Paris commercial court has ruled in favor of the legendary design house this past Friday. However, the fashion house was charged with a breach of contract. As a result, Chanel must pay approximately $583,960 to the supplier for Chanel's cancellation of orders. This is a small victory for the supplier, but the French court also awarded Chanel with half that amount for what it called a "smear campaign".

The lawsuit centered around a floral crochet pattern that World Tricot sent to Chanel for consideration, but that Chanel refused to use. Afterwards, the founder of World Tricot spotted a similar crochet design on Chanel clothing. She promptly filed the lawsuit.

While Chanel remained victorious, it was a bittersweet win. The lawsuit centered around a supplier who worked with women from third world countries and focused on female empowerment. As a result of losing its contract with Chanel, the company was forced into bankruptcy.

Ed Hardy's Work Is Now Popular With Pirates

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:38:00 +0000

According the New York Times, the infamous tattoo artist's famous designs, style, and even his name are all being targeted by fashion pirates looking to make a quick buck.

The trademark name is actually pulling in more than $700 million dollars a year. This is more than enough incentive for pirates to actually use search engine optimization to their advantage and create dummy websites that mimic Ed Hardy's website:

"Backers of the Ed Hardy name find themselves in a constant battle with counterfeiters who quickly and easily create fake Ed Hardy Web sites, almost indistinguishable from the real sites, and then try to manipulate Google’s search and advertising systems. The end goal is to make sure people hunting for Ed Hardy gear online find the fake goods first, lining the pockets of pirates, largely based in China."

Mr. Hardy was actually quoted by the New York Times as saying, “In the early days in the city, I might do one tattoo and then wait three days to do another. I think it’s funny and totally surreal to see what’s happened.”

It will be interesting to see what happens. In this case, it seems that counterfeiters are actually copying written content from the actual Ed Hardy website word for word. Recent case law has shown that use of a rival's trademark protected phrase as a keyword does not infringe on their mark, but if the ad actually displayed as a featured result has the protected phrase, then there is trademark infringement. According to Google's AdWords and AdSense policy, it is the advertiser's responsibility for the keywords they choose to generate advertisements and the text that they choose to use in those advertisements.

Let's see if there will be some lawsuits filed on the heels of this article!

Professional Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:39:00 +0000

I just wanted to let my few dedicated readers know that I have been asked by Thomson Reuters to blog for Findlaw. As a result, I may not be able to post on From Runway to Highway Robbery as frequently as I used to.

I do plan to post as often as I can though. Please come back for more posts that are Fashion or Fashion IP related. I thank you for your wonderful support and look forward to seeing your comments on Findlaw's blogs too.

Is the Grecian Dress The Uniform of the Recessionista?

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Leighton Meester in a goddess gown by Bottega Veneta.

It has been a slow week for fashion piracy, but I came across an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal that chronicles the rise and fall of the Grecian dress.

For example, check out Ms. Blake Lively from Gossip Girl in this Oscar de la Renta dress:

Basically the article details how during a a recession, there is a shift in clothing from the ostentatiously ornate construction of dresses to a looser more free flowing look in clothes. This shift signals the rise of the Grecian dress which is typically either one shoulder or strapless. The dress involves pleating and folds which are generally more forgiving to the body. As a result, more women can wear this type of gown:

"Designers say the economic downturn and resulting implosion of the luxury market has resurrected the Grecian dress, which in the last few decades has emerged as the go-to look at times of financial or social turmoil. Valerie Steele, director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, notes that Grecian dresses were big in the 1970s, after the social revolution of the 1960s, as well as in the 1990s, after the excesses of the 1980s. 'We've been in this time of excess and we're in a clean moment now,' says Zac Posen, who showed Grecian-style dresses in his fall 2009 runway show. 'The Grecian dress is part of that clean moment.'"

One of the things that struck me was the near impossibility of actually being able to claim an IP claim on such a perennial design. When we look at actual silhouettes such as the Grecian dress, strapless dresses, column dresses, and wrap dresses it becomes clear why legislators are loathe to pass a bill that would protect fashion designers.

It is hard to decipher what is piracy and what is a normal fashion fad that is open to all designers and retailers. It will be interesting to notice how many designers will incorporate this trend into their own lines.

Jean Paul Gaultier Sets His Sights on Target

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:59:00 +0000

It turns out that all of those rumblings earlier in September were true: Jean Paul Gaultier is doing a collaborative line for the large retailer Target.

According to NY Magazine: "The rumors were true! Jean Paul Gaultier is doing a Target collection. It will hit more than 250 Target stores across the country and Target.com on March 7, and be available through April 11. Gaultier is the third established designer to do a collection for the mass retailer (after Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui) under the Designer Collaboration series. Target makes the designers in this series choose a muse for their collections. McQueen chose Leila Moss, Sui chose the girls of Gossip Girl, and guess what Gaultier chose?

Jean Paul Gaultier for Target pays tribute to the American woman, celebrating the forces of style both past and present in American pop culture, the retailer said."

I am so excited!

While the recession has created a cesspool of knockoffs, it has also spawned the creative versioning of high fashion designers. Fashion is no longer just for a few individuals who can afford it, it is accessible to a more general consumer.

Again, while it is necessary to have a bill like the Design Piracy Prohibition Act passed, I worry if it will hinder this creative process that designers are going through in order to combat piracy. I don't think I have ever witnessed so many talented designers working to create affordable lines (not even during the 1990's recession).

It would be a shame to put all of that to an end once the bill is passed. What do you think?

Lawsuit of the Weak: It's Been UGGly for Kitson

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:24:00 +0000

The trendy hipster boutique Kitson which is favored by the likes of Nicole Richie and other young celebrities is filing a lawsuit against the Deckers which are the makers of the infamous Ugg boots.

According to WWD: On Oct. 8, the trendy retailer filed suit against Deckers in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging unfair trade practices, negligent misrepresentation, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, among other assertions in relation to the retailer’s sale of Ugg boots.

So basically, Kitson is complaining that Deckers engaged in unfair trade practices by selling their products in bulk at lower prices to retailers such as Macy's, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales in the Los Angeles area while they have had to pay full wholesale prices because they are a boutique.

While Deckers had promised price protection and competitive pricing for Kitson, I think that Kitson's allegations go a little too far. The suit alleges that because of bad publicity from podiatrists saying that the trendy boots are not good for the feet; sales have been slow and that Deckers does not take returns.

If you ask me, Kitson needs to take their issues up with their buyer. Once you sign a contract, you agree to its terms. It seems like Kitson should have known what it was getting itself into when it agreed to carry Deckers product.

I guess we will see how it plays out in court now.

Badgley Mischka Embraces Versioning

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Badgley Mischka has announced that it will introduce a more affordable line of bridal wear called Mark and James that will be launched in the spring. The dresses reflect the brand's typical light, airy yet elegant design aesthetic as you can see from the photo above.

In other news, the brand is also embracing the HUGE HSN consumer base this month:

(Reuters)

"NEW YORK, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICON) ("Iconix" or the "Company"),today announced that the Company's luxury brand Badgley Mischka® will be partnering with HSN, a leading interactive lifestyle network and retail destination. Badgley Mischka will launch its exclusive American Glamour collection with HSN during a special two-hour prime-time show featuring Mark Badgley and James Mischka live on the shopping network at 9 PM on November 17.

American Glamour will bring the luxury aesthetic of Badgley Mischka to everyday, attainable fashion. The collection will include apparel, accessories and jewelry at accessible price points. Retail prices will range from $39 to $499. The exclusive new line will convey the key elements of glamour and sophistication that Badgley Mischka is famous for to classic essentials that can transition from day to evening.

Mark Badgley and James Mischka stated,"We are very pleased to be launching American Glamour with HSN. It is exciting to be able to reach out directly to both existing and new customers and offer them glamorous and chic pieces that transition from day to evening easily and are quintessentially Badgley Mischka."

Neil Cole, Chairman and CEO, Iconix stated,"We look forward to working with HSN on this licensing agreement for American Glamour. Mark and James are incredibly talented and we are confident that the collaboration will be a positive one for both HSN and Iconix."

Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSN, Inc. said, "Badgley Mischka is a leading fashion brand and we are thrilled to have Mark Badgley and James Mischka be a part of the HSN family. Through the partnership with HSN, American Glamour will now provide women access to a brand they may not have been able to consider before. HSN is excited to bring such an innovative and well-recognized design duo to the forefront of the home shopping market."

The American Glamour line will also be available online at www.hsn.com
starting November 15."

Jimmy Choo Shoppers Need Coaching

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:34:00 +0000

Jimmy Choo is doing a collaboration with H&M. I have written about this collaboration before, but this is the first time I have heard about how shoppers are being prepped for the big day the collection drops in stores!

Racked has put together an article that details how Jimmy Choo and H&M are prepping their shoppers to be courteous: "Please wait in line."

How interesting! While I typically love Jimmy Choo, some of the shoes seem more "working girl" than I would like. What do you think?

Megan Fox Lives Up To Her Last Name

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:14:00 +0000

MILAN (Reuters) - American actress Megan Fox will strip down to her underwear for Giorgio Armani's Emporio Armani fashion brand, the Italian design house said on Wednesday. Fox, who starred in the "Transformers" films, follows in the footsteps of "Posh Spice" Victoria Beckham who along with her soccer-playing husband David heads the Emporio Armani autumn/winter underwear campaign.

While this is more fashion related than IP related, I thought it was a juicy tidbit.

It will be interesting to see how she steams up these ads because Armani also signed Cristiano Ronaldo to replace fellow footballer David Beckham. Will there be a possible hookup between the two? Hmmmmm....

Chloé Wins Infringement Case

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:06:00 +0000

The luxury brand Chloé has been awarded $7.2 million in damages for an infringement lawsuit that it brought against Mohammed Alexander Zarafshan who allegedly supplied counterfeit items to an online site back in 2006. WWD

Mr. Zarafshan is a Los Angeles supplier. While Mr. Zarafshan was initially cooperative with the lawsuit, he failed to answer the complaint in court. As a result, the U.S. Federal Court entered a default judgment in favor of the brand.

It is another case of you snooze, you lose!

If you get a complaint about trademark or trade dress infringement, you must answer it! This is why there are IP lawyers to begin with. If you fail to respond, it is not going to go away. It will only lead to a default judgment as you have read in my previous posts about the LVMH case. From Runway to Highway Robbery: LVMH Wins Damages In Counterfeit Suit

This recession is just making designers more aware of when their designs are infringed upon which is a good thing. Typically, designers don't bother with lawsuits protecting their work because they feel like they will not prevail (due to lax laws about IP and fashion in the US). However these two cases are just more proof that when pirates steal their work, courts are willing to back them up.

My advice to current and future pirates: Lawyer up because the law about fashion intellectual property will likely change soon and if not, there is always trademark enforcement.

Isabel Marant Opens Store in Soho

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Isabel Marant; the label whose bootie launched a thousand knockoffs has announced that it will open a store on the corner of Greene and Broome Streets in NYC's Soho. (WWD)

Fast Fashion is Looking Fashion Forward During This Recession

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:47:00 +0000

Fast fashion chains such as Zara and H&M have done pretty well during this global recession, but it seems that the big player in fast fashion is Uniqlo (according to www.forbes.com):

Fast Retailing sees record profit on Uniqlo boom

"Globally, budget fashion retailers like Spain's Inditex's Zara and Sweden's Hennes & Mauritz are weathering the downturn better than mid-priced rivals, but Uniqlo's monthly same-store sales growth have been much bigger than these chains.

The company said Uniqlo stores overseas have been posting strong sales growth, both in Asia and Europe, where it opened a large-scale store in Paris this month.

'The reason for our strong performance is that we have won recognition globally as a new Japan-born brand, different from H&M, Zara and Gap ( GPS - news - people ),' company CEO Tadashi Yanai told a news briefing."

Uniqlo is a chain that provides quality goods such as cashmere sweaters at a more affordable price point.

It is different from fast fashion chains such as Zara, Forever 21, Topshop, and H&M because it does not attempt to sell inspired versions of high fashion. It just sells luxurious basics in every color you can imagine.

"'Fabrics like heat-tech will remain a very niche strength to compete with those Western players who focus only on fast fashion and don't really care about the quality of the fabric as much,' said Jeanie Chen, retail analyst at CLSA, referring to Fast Retailing's fabric that helps keeps users warm."

However Uniqlo has attempted to branch out of its basics to some more fashion forward designs. It is learning lessons about collaborations from chains such as Target and H&M. It is planning on unveiling a collaboration with Jil Sander this month in its stores.

So far Uniqlo has its SoHo store in the United States. According to the article in Forbes, there may be some more aggressive expansion into the United States. Will we be seeing a Uniqlo near you soon?

Recessionistas must be rejoicing everywhere!

UPDATE: Forever 21 Settles With Trovata

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:32:00 +0000

It seems that Forever 21 has not arrived...

In the lawsuit we have all been waiting for with bated breath comes.....a little disappointment. While all of us nerdy types were hoping for some type of legal resolution when it came down to legal reasoning for fashion design protection. It seems we will have to wait since Forever 21 has settled the lawsuit with Trovata (please see previous posts).

More details about the settlement soon.

Counterfeits Make an Appearance On The City

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:05:00 +0000

(Photo Courtesy of MTV)

Wouldn't it be lovely if all of us had a glamorous job at Elle Magazine where all we did was help stylists, offer ideas about photo shoots and buy purses?

Well Olivia is a pseudo reality star who gets to do just that on the show The City. While most people with a normal pulse would be able to get with the program, it seems that Olivia just does not get it.

On an episode of The City, she is sent by her boss to buy counterfeit bags as part of a lineup of purses for a morning show segment. Instead of getting excited for some time out of the office to do some sanctioned shopping, she whines about how she lives in TriBeca and there have been counterfeit raids.

Obviously, her boss tells her that she is clearly overreacting and needs to do her job. When she actually finds a counterfeit bag seller, she acts like a fugitive (see the picture above). Who knew that counterfeit shopping could feel so illicit? Is it really hard to buy a bag (albeit a fake one)?

Make sure to check out more episodes of The City (these girls seem like professional train wrecks!) I love it!

Lawsuit of the Weak: Coach Vs. Target

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Coach is suing Target for $1M over trademark infringement. Coach claims the discount retailer started selling bags that are similar to their Patchwork and Ergo Lines.

"Target is not authorized by Coach to manufacture, distribute, advertise, offer for sale and/or sell merchandise bearing the Ergo designs or the Signature Patchwork designs," the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit includes claims of trademark infringement and unfair competition.

"We are currently looking into this situation and working with our vendor partner," a Target spokeswoman said in a statement Monday. "It always has been - and continues to be - Target's policy to respect the intellectual property rights of others."

This is not the first lawsuit that Coach has filed against Target. They dropped a lawsuit that they had filed against Target back in 2006 when the brand claimed that Target was selling knockoffs at their Florida stores. Target claimed that it bought the purses from a discount retailer and that the bags were legitimate Coach merchandise (Please see above).

NYT's Review of Fashion Includes Knockoffs

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:48:00 +0000

Defying Knockoffs and Inviting Them

The article details how Alber Elbaz of Lanvin acknowledges that his work gets copied and how he deals with it:

“I don’t care if people copy me — well, I do care,” Mr. Elbaz said. “For me, I create prototypes. They can copy yesterday but they can’t copy tomorrow.”

Banana Republic Knocks Off Miu Miu's Banana Flat

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I was at a local Banana Republic store when I saw a pair of leather flats with jewel embellishments that were arranged in such a way that I felt like it was deja vu.

It then occurred to me that Miu Miu did a banana flat in a gold color (see above) that looks just like the current fall offering at Banana Republic (see above).

Hmmmm seems like Banana Republic is hiring designers who are too lazy to design their own shoes. If you are going to knock off a shoe, at least wait more than a year to do it right? Otherwise you just anger consumers who know better!

H&M Is Rocking Its Collaborations

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:47:00 +0000

H&M has announced that Sonia Rykiel will be working on a lingerie line for the fast fashion chain.

According to WWD:

The collection is to be launched Dec. 5 in 1,500 H&M stores worldwide, and also at Rykiel boutiques — the first time a guest designer for H&M will do so. The French firm counts 44 boutiques worldwide, along with 52 shop-in-shops.

In another first, the collaboration with Rykiel will continue into the spring season, with a knitwear line for women and girls, accompanied by accessories. This second collection will be launched in around 250 H&M stores on Feb. 20.

“We wanted something different,” H&M creative adviser Margareta van den Bosch told WWD. “Sonia Rykiel is very Parisian, feminine and playful, so it was an ideal choice.”

I am excited! Jimmy Choo is doing a line for H&M that will be unveiled this November. Perhaps this will entice more people to do a little bit more holiday shopping (or just shopping)?

A Fragrance By Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet?

noreply@blogger.com (Minara El-Rahman) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:34:00 +0000

Beyonce is used to being the face behind fragrances for Tommy Hilfiger (see above) and Armani. What she is not used to is being slapped with a lawsuit.

The diva songstress has been named in a trademark infringement case between Abercrombie & Fitch and Coty.

The singer was planning on launching a fragrance called Sasha Fierce. Sasha Fierce is Beyonce's performing alter ego.

Abercrombie & Fitch claims that it had sent Ms. Knowles a cease and desist letter in order to prevent her from using this name for her fragrance because the company had introduced its own fragrance called Fierce (a men's fragrance) back in 2002. It had the name registered with the USPTO in 2003.

Abercrombie & Fitch claims that her use of the name Sasha Fierce in the fragrance category will cause a likelihood of confusion for consumers. Knowles filed a letter-of-intent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in September 2008 for the Sasha Fierce mark in the fragrance category

Coty responded by saying: "We can confirm at this time...that the terms Fierce and Sasha Fierce are not being used as names of a Beyonce fragrance," reports WWD