FAME APPEAL

McQueen Exhibit Attracts New Audience to Fashion:
“What I do is an artistic expression of that which is channeled through me. Fashion is just the medium.” –Alexander McQueen
I finally visited the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” costume exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was absolutely breathtaking, focusing on McQueen’s fascinating showmanship and his remarkable techniques.
The exhibit is divided into six themes that are distinctive of Mr. McQueen’s work: the romantic mind, romantic gothic, romantic nationalism, romantic exoticism, romantic primitivism, and romantic naturalism. It features fine tailored smoking jackets, explores the interplay of opposites like …

Imagine being able to complain to Old Slavery Navy about how their “end of the season flip flops” ended soon after you bought them, or having the opportunity to affect how a brand addresses their customers. . . pretty crazy, huh? It’s no mystery that most companies have a Facebook page, and we’ve all embraced the ability to “like” whichever brand we choose. So why not use these channels to call out these brands when they are doing a less than stellar performance? Lately, brands like Burberry and Tory Burch …

Tory Burch, LLC has been awarded a $164 million judgment against online counterfeiters. In the suit, the fashion label named 41 cybersquatters, primarily of Chinese origin, which it discovered were linked to 232 domain names, including Web sites like “ToryBurchOutletShop.com.” Cybersquatting is registering or using a domain name in bad faith to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else (according to the United States Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act).
A New York federal court awarded the firm damages against operators of Web sites selling fake Tory Burch ballet flats and other footwear, handbags and …

 
Today, we took at trip to New York’s Garment District where we visited the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Incubator.
The CFDA Incubator program is designed to support the next generation of fashion designers by offering low-cost design studio space, business mentoring, educational seminars, and networking opportunities to the program participants to help grow and sustain the business of the 12 participating tenants over the course of the next two years. The CFDA requires that applicants for the program be somewhat established: applicants must have garnered substantial editorial coverage; have orders …

Today, designer Sigrid Olsen stopped by to speak to our class about her experience in the fashion industry. Olsen’s background as an artist andin textile design led her to the clothing business. She gained a following but, against the advice of her attorney, signed a contract with Liz Claiborne Inc., which purchased the brand from Olsen and her investors.
While there were good times, Claiborne Inc. eventually told Olsen her brand was losing customers and money and that Olsen’s line and stores would be closed. Because Liz still owns the trademark for …

 
Today marked the start of the Fashion Law Institute Summer Intensive Program. I met some fantastic people from all over the world who all share a passion for fashion and the law! It was amazing to see the diversity around the classroom–design students, law students, attorneys, and industry professionals all wanting to learn more about the relationship between law and fashion.
Once class began, I got the syllabus. While there is considerable debate about intellectual property issues that arise in the industry (trademark, copyright, patent), I’m glad the class will also …

 
The latest fashion controversy has both Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Louboutin seeing red. Literally. After allegations of copying were claimed by Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent responded with a $1 million lawsuit.
So who’s the real McCoy and who’s the copy cat? Christian Louboutin claims that their red-soled shoes were created in 1992 with the desire to create energy on the sole, while Yves Saint Laurent argues that red has been used throughout history, and there’s no proper way to trademark a color.
Sorry, Christian Louboutin, we don’t agree with you …