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Navajo Nation Formally Sues Urban Outfitters For Tribal Print Panties
Mar 1st
Just a few months after sending Urban Outfitters a letter asking that it stop selling all of its Navajo-branded products, the Navajo Nation has sued the retailer for infringing its trademark — and its sole right to make and market products under its tribal name.
RELATED: Uh Oh: Urban Outfitters’ ‘Navajo Hipster Panties’ Are Actually Illegal
Urban Outfitters responded to the letter, which the nation sent last October after Urban started selling tribal print underwear named Navajo Hipster Panties (among other things), by keeping the products on its website and in stores, but removing the word Navajo from all of the items’ product descriptions. But The Associated Press reports that changing the name of the products didn’t satisfy the Navajo Nation’s claims on its copyright, and its lawyers believe they can convince a judge to bar Urban Outfitters from ever using its name again. The suit also seeks unspecified monetary damages.
And it looks like the Nation has a chance of winning both — after all, it has the law on its side. In addition to have roughly 10 registered trademarks of its name that cover everything from clothing to household products, it also can rely on The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, which makes it illegal to sell products claiming to be produced by the Navajo people when they’re actually made in a factory in Bahrain.
RELATED: Urban Outfitters Asked To Remove ‘Navajo’ Products From Stores Worldwide
Urban Outfitters may have only set out to make an homage to the Navajo and other American Indian tribes with its products, but it could end up paying for violating federal law. And New York-based fashion law specialists Susan Scafidi and Joseph Murphy, Jr., both agree that Urban could lose big time.
“That’s what disgusts me about this situation,” Murphy said. “I, like many people, thought it would have been resolved. But apparently Urban Outfitters declined to write the big apology and may have to write the big check.”
The Navajo Nation’s objections to traditionally styled beaded earrings or a hacienda bag that don’t carry the tribe’s name are much less likely to succeed, Scafidi said. But she said it shows a pattern that could influence a jury, which the tribe has requested in its lawsuit.
“Imagine all of those products piled on a table in the courtroom, looking like Santa Fe meets New York’s notorious Canal Street or Beijing’s Silk Market,” she wrote in an email.
And to think: None of this would have happened if Urban hadn’t started selling these insensitive products in the first place.
[MSNBC]
Chris Burch Booted From Ex-Wife Tory Burch’s Board
Mar 1st
And the War of Burches heats up.
Though it doesn’t look like Tory Burch is taking legal action against ex-husband Chris Burch, she has forced him to step down as co-chair of her brand’s board. A source told the New York Post:
“Chris Burch is no longer co-chair of the board. Tory is the sole chair of the board, and this reflects how her company has been run since its inception. Chris never had an office or was involved in the day-to-day running of Tory Burch. While Chris remains a shareholder and a board member at Tory Burch, Barclays Capital remains engaged to sell his shares.”
The similarities between Tory’s Tory Burch and Chris’s C. Wonder have been a point of contention since Chris opened up his first C. Wonder store in November. Tory believes shoppers are confusing the brands, and has asked Chris to change his concept. It doesn’t look like he will be giving in on that front, however; he is planning to open another New York store later this year.
We attended the opening of C. Wonder back in the fall, and while it reminded us a bit of Tory Burch, it’s probably more aesthetically reminiscent of Kate Spade with a hint of J.Crew. However, the scale and pricing make it quite different than all of those brands, Tory Burch included. There are 86 product categories comprised of 1800 SKUs, with an average unit retail price of $40. Chris told us he planned to open 200 stores in two years, mostly in malls.
That said, the DNA of the brand isn’t terribly different from that of the brand he built with his ex-wife. And the situation, as detailed in Jessica Pressler‘s excellent New York Magazine piece, is complex. We sympathize with Tory, but we also understand Chris’s side — and so does Kelly Cutrone:
“I don’t really get it. Did they trademark lacquer? Does Lilly Pulitzer start calling Tory and saying, ‘Hey, you’re doing a modernized version of what I used to do, please stop’? Does Yves Saint Laurent call and say, ‘No, I’m the king of the tunic, I lived in Morocco’? Did the Knights of the Templars call off Christian Dior because he was using chain mail and that’s they what wore in the Crusades?”
Regardless, having Chris separate from Tory’s company probably makes the most sense for everybody.
Beyonce And Gwyneth Paltrow Are Making A Movie Together!
Feb 29th
It’s a cinematic dream come true. Superstar singer Beyonce and her best gal-pal, the Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, are currently in talks to do a movie together. And it’s going to involve them both singing!
Deadline reports that the Knowles and Paltrow, who hang out together (with and without their music world heavyweight husbands Jay-Z and Chris Martin) are attached to a movie Sony is producing with Glee creator Ryan Murphy. The working title is One Hit Wonders, and the plot goes something like this: Beyonce, Gwyneth and Cameron Diaz will play women who each had a single hit song in the 90s who band together in the present day to form a super group of lady singers who will take over the world with their voices. (Andy Samberg and the boys from The Lonely Island will be producing the music for the movie, but we can’t imagine Martin and Jay-Z and basically everyone in the industry won’t be involved in this movie somehow.)
Anyway! We also know that Reese Witherspoon will also be involved with the film somehow. Apparently Paltrow, Witherspoon, Diaz and Murphy were all having dinner in New York one night and discussed the idea of working together between courses. A few formal meetings and several millions of dollars later, and bam! We’ve got an ensemble cast and some serious musicians on their way to the movies.
Since the project is in its infancy, there aren’t many more details than that right now — and of course since there’s very little on paper, the scant details we do have are subject to change. But we’re hoping that at the end of the day, Gwyneth and B will end up sticking together. Because at the moment, we honestly can’t imagine two people we’d rather see working together.
[Deadline]
Dior Starts An ‘Online Magazine’ Which Is Actually A Blog
Feb 29th
Because they totally weren’t occupied trying to find a new creative director or anything, the good people at Dior have spent a lot of time and energy creating an “online magazine” that will provide its fans with news and information about the storied French fashion house.
Women’s Wear Daily reports that Dior Mag will revolutionize the way we think about fashion on the Internet be updated “almost daily” with content about how things at Dior are going — but don’t expect any hard-hitting stories about who they’re getting to replace John Galliano. Instead, the stories will fall along the lines of where the house sources the raw materials for its fragrances and live streams of its shows during Paris Fashion Week. The site has an anonymous editor-in-chief who is overseen by Dior’s marketing people (which means this site is run by the marketing department).
And that’s where Dior — and in fact most fashion companies that create “online magazines” — has gone wrong with this new venture. We’re not saying it’s not an admirable thing to do. It’s cool that a house like Dior, which so few people can afford to wear, is creating another way for the unfragranced masses to participate in its brand. It has almost 7 million Facebook fans and is even getting the super popular style blogger Susie Bubble to live tweet its runway show on Friday, and we think that’s cool! But branding what is essentially a very fancy public relations blog as an online magazine in an attempt to legitimize a new publication shows a pretty clear lack of understanding of what a site like this is supposed to do, which is to get people to click on interesting content, and maybe even buy a lipstick or two.
You know what’s a good online magazine? Lonny, the online publication that was created to fill the void left in our hearts when Conde Nast folded its shelter title Domino. Lonny looks and behaves like a magazine (with digital pages you can actually turn with a click of your mouse) because it’s an actual online magazine that gets released once a month, just like print publications.
But Dior Mag is actually a blog, even if its creators don’t want to admit that horrific truth. One of the first eight articles (eight was Christian Dior’s lucky number) is about the brand’s ultra expensive ceramic watch. Another tells the story of Catherine Dior, Christian’s little sister and one of his most important muses. Yet another is a post about Charlize Theron‘s body of work for the brand. All of these posts are maybe a little longer than 100 words and rely heavily on videos and images, and none of them tell us something we didn’t already know or couldn’t have found out about somewhere else. Which is, unfortunately, what bad blogs do.
By all means check the blog out, share it with your friends, leave comments on the posts (Wait, what’s that? You can’t even comment on the posts?!) and come back here to tell us what you think. But whatever you do, don’t call it an online magazine.
[WWD]
It’s A Brad, Brad World Season Finale: Gary’s Big Surprise!
Feb 28th
Last night saw the season finale of It’s A Brad, Brad World and it was a watershed moment, as in this episode, Brad Goreski finally, finally admits he’s made it! This week he styled a very pregnant Jessica Alba for the Spy Kids 4 premiere, and did a shoot for J. Brand with Lindsay as his styling assistant. Jessica looked beautiful at the premiere, Lindsay didn’t screw anything up at the shoot, and J. Brand loved Brad and told him they would like to have him back. He did make their clothes look pretty great; now I want ALL the bright-colored cigarette pants for spring! Toward the end of the episode, Brad’s team informed him that Kate Spade wanted to form a partnership with him and take him on as a stylist for the brand. Hopefully we can finally put an end to his “struggling stylist” storyline.
Related – PHOTOS: Brad Goreski & Prabal Gurung Celebrate Whitney Saturday Night
This was all very exciting, but the best part of the episode was obviously Brad and Gary Janetti’s anniversary party. Brad’s involvement in the party planning was mostly limited to making Gary uncomfortable on purpose. While on a coffee date, he casually dropped: “I would hate if it rained on our wedding.” That was followed by with: “Are you working on your vows? …Are you going to say your vows before or after you lift my veil and give me a kiss?”
“Please don’t make me kiss you in front of everyone,” Gary begged him. He found this entire process to be “disturbingly life-consuming,” probably because of a mysterious surprise he spent most of the episode planning.
The day of the party arrived, and Steven the event planner made Gary have a cocktail to calm down before the first guests arrived. Brad’s mom and sister and Gary’s parents were among the first to show up, and we got a quick update on Brad’s relationship with his dad (still not very good, but his sister thinks he should stay optimistic about repairing their relationship). There was a parade of Brad and Gary’s celebrity friends, including Shay Mitchell, Megan Mullaly and Nick Offerman. The greatest moment of the episode was undoubtedly Gary’s surprise for Brad, which turned out to be a flash mob of friends, family, and coworkers serenading him with Les Misérables’ “One Day More.” Brad was delighted, the rest of the partygoers were delighted, I was delighted. It was a great way to end the season.
So, that’s that! Hopefully Brad and co. (especially Gary, we need so much more Gary) will return for a second season. When the show wasn’t preoccupied with Brad’s perceived need to hustle, it was much more fun and frothy and fun television than his former boss’s show. Plus, if there’s another season, maybe poor Jasper can finally have his moment in the spotlight. Until that happens, you can content yourself with watching “One Day More” over and over below, via Bravo:
Was Raf Simons Fired From Jil Sander?
Feb 28th
When Raf Simons announced he would be exiting Jil Sander, it was believed he was leaving because he snagged a bigger gig. Was Dior calling his name? Or perhaps Yves Saint Laurent? Probably not — especially since it looks like he was actually fired.
In her WWD column today, Bridget Foley discusses the return of Jil Sander to her eponymous label, noting that Simons was “unceremoniously dumped”:
Simons leaves — more correctly, he was unceremoniously dumped — at the top of his game. A designer of women’s wear neither by education (he studied furniture design) nor first sartorial vocation (he started in men’s), in 2005 he took over a house in distress after some bad decisions — including the one by its founder to sell into a situation, which, in retrospect, would almost surely lead to a clash of personalities — and turned it around, at least creatively. He made it not only relevant again but essential.
We’re just as perplexed as Foley. Simons did incredible work at Jil Sander. Why would they want to get rid of him? The clothes he designed should sell (in the words of Foley: “If these clothes aren’t salable, I’m sad for fashion.”), and they surely have a place in the fashion canon. His spring 2011 collection was one of our favorites of all time! However, Foley does posit that a lack of proper infrastructure and the “company’s inability to build an accessories business” hurt its bottom line.
The ever-wise Cathy Horyn agrees. Yesterday she wrote of the “arbitrariness of Raf Simons’s departure” — a situation she deemed “illogical”:
Franco Pene, the chairman of Gibo, an Italian subsidiary of Onward Holdings, which owns Jil Sander, said of the decision: “It’s not that we wanted to change designers. Raf has done a really good job. He’s one of three or four top designers in the world.” He mentioned Phoebe Philo of Céline and Alber Elbaz of Lanvin. But, Mr. Pene said, “it was a strategic issue to return to the culture of the brand” under its founder, Ms. Sander, and gain “consistency.”
Like Foley, Horyn lamented the “management’s inability to make a business out of Mr. Simons’s designs”. It’s pretty insane. If Jil Sander could not sell Simons’s gorgeous (and wearable!) designs, it certainly shows weakness on a management level. This is simply not Simons’s fault. Regardless, the man’s talent speaks for itself, and we’re excited to see just where he lands.
Kate Walsh Would Like Actresses To Stop ‘F*cking’ With Their Faces
Feb 27th
While our takeaway from last night’s red carpet extravaganza was that peplums are inescapable, Kate Walsh had a slightly different impression.
While we were feverishly writing up Jennifer Lopez maybe-maybe-not nipple slip, Walsh had this offered up the folling gem of an observation.
…dear Hollywood actresses, stop fucking up your faces, it’s looking the the [sic] bar scene in Star Wars.
To which we say: Hear, hear! But also: what about Billy Crystal?
[@KateWalsh.]
Here’s Why Viola Davis’s Oscar Hairdo Was Such A Big Deal
Feb 27th
Viola Davis may not have walked away with the Oscar for Best Actress Sunday night, but as far as we’re concerned her decision to wear her hair natural — and not relaxed or covered up by a wig or otherwise processed — makes her the award show’s biggest winner.
Because in a sea of women who had been plucked and waxed and maquillaged to within an inch of their lives, Davis and her short and powerfully curly hair stood out as a beautiful example of just how good you can look when you leave your hair the hell alone. Davis, who was nominated for her performance in The Help, tends to wear wigs for her movie roles and on the red carpet, but her husband actor Julius Tennon has been campaigning behind the scenes for her to start wearing her natural hair when she’s not making a movie. She did just that when she appeared on the cover of the Los Angeles Times Fashion Magazine earlier this month, and at the Essence Black Women In Hollywood luncheon last week. The third time, at the Academy Awards, turned out to be a real charm.
Davis told Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet that her mother did her hair, and we think its natural red-brown color perfectly complements the deep green of the custom Vera Wang gown she wore. But more than just looking great, it sent a clear and powerful message to the world — and to the scores of Black women and girls who have their hair chemically processed year in and year out — that it’s perfectly OK to let your hair be just what it is. The Oscars is without a doubt the most visible entertainment event of the year, and we’re glad that Davis took such a vital opportunity to make such an important statement.
Check out how good she looks below.
WATCH: Did Kelly Osbourne Make A Racist Remark About J. Lo?
Feb 27th
ABC had exclusive red carpet rights for the last hour before the show, which meant E! had an entire 60 minutes to needlessly analyze every single Oscar look.
Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic gabbed with stylist Jessica Paster, who posited Jennifer Lopez was too casual for the Academy Awards. Conversely, Rancic loved her glittery Zuhair Murad number. Osbourne, however, took her distaste a step further: “It’s kind of like if she was hosting the Latin Grammys — like what she would wear as her wow dress.” Wait, what?!
This rubbed us the wrong way, but was it a racist remark or a careless comment?
Sasha Baron Cohen As ‘The Dictator’ Dumps Ashes On Ryan Seacrest
Feb 27th
In what will undoubtedly be the most talked about moment from tonight’s Oscar red carpet, Sasha Baron Cohen arrived in character as “The Dicator” and dumped an oversize urn’s worth of ashes all over Ryan Seacrest.
Baron told Seacrest he was wearing a John Galliano suit — terrible joke — and Kmart socks before upturning the ashes of his dear friend and “doubles tennis partner” Kim Jong-Il all over the red carpet host. Seacrest, suffice it to say, was not pleased. Security quickly escorted Baron Cohen off the carpet while Giuliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne chuckled off-screen.
WATCH:
