Posts for March 27th 2012

Dolce & Gabbana Sues New Zealand Boutique Dolce & Banana
Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Banana, the Return of the Choker, Instagram's Newest Competition

>> Get caught up on the latest news in fashion.
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>> Get caught up on the latest news in fashion.

  • Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have filed suit against the South African boutique Dolce & Banana, saying that the store's name "makes a mockery of the well-known trademark, Dolce & Gabbana." The store's owner has since changed her shop's name to " . . . & Banana," but the Italian fashion house is still trying to get her to pay its legal fees. [The Cut]
  • Instagram has a new rival in Trendabl, a new photo-sharing app for the iPhone that's focused specifically on the fashion set. Trendabl allows users to take pictures and put interesting filters over them, but users can also tag brands and specific products in the photo, which makes the experience shoppable. Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, and Brad Goreski have already set up accounts. Will you? [The Fashion Spot]
  • Remember this day — the choker has officially made its return as a statement accessory. Look no further than the necks of women like Rihanna and Olivia Wilde (and the product assortments of Ralph Lauren, Dannijo, and Lanvin) for proof. [Stylelist]
Tod's Founder Dorino Della Valle Dies at Age 87
Tod's

Tod's Founder Dorino Della Valle Has Died

>> Dorino Della Valle, founder of the Italian fashion empire that owns Tod's, Roger Vivier, and Hogan, died Tuesday.
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>> Dorino Della Valle, founder of the Italian fashion empire that owns Tod's, Roger Vivier, and Hogan, died Tuesday. He was 87.

WWD reported that Dorino, father of current Tod's Chairman Diego Della Valle and Vice Chairman Andrea Della Valle, died in the Italian town of Casette d'Ete. Dorino started making Tod's shoes in the basement of his home there in the 1920s, but the business didn't become a full-fledged luxury house until Diego expanded the operation with manufacturing in the 1970s.

The Della Valle family now owns a range of fashion companies and has a stake in other nonfashion businesses, like the RCS MediaGroup and the soccer team ACF Fiorentina. Calcio Sport reported that the team has suspended its regular practices and will observe two days of silence until Dorino's funeral on Thursday. Spokespeople for Tod's had not responded to a request for comment by the time of this posting.

Kenneth Cole High-Fashion Collection Line Video
Kenneth Cole

Watch — Kenneth Cole Explains His New High-Fashion "Collection" Line

>> Before Kenneth Cole celebrates the 30th birthday of his eponymous brand next year, he's going to do something he's wanted to do for decades — introduce a line of clothing that's more fashion focused and higher priced than the several lines he already creates.
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>> Before Kenneth Cole celebrates the 30th birthday of his eponymous brand next year, he's going to do something he's wanted to do for decades — introduce a line of clothing that's more fashion focused and higher priced than the several lines he already creates.

The new line will be called Kenneth Cole Collection, and it will be in stores in July. Cole is introducing the line to editors and consumers this week but provided customers a sneak peek at the line with a behind-the-scenes video in which he speaks to the collection's ideas. Cole says he wanted to create clothing that people will want to wear longer than a season, and to that end the clothes in the Collection line use more luxurious fabrics and place a greater emphasis on styling. That won't come cheap — WWD reports that while most pieces in the longstanding Kenneth Cole New York line retail between $150 and $450, the Collection line will range from $400 for dresses to $900 and above for outerwear. But for Cole, the whole idea of this line was to create something his customers will want to invest in.

"Nobody empties their closet at the end of every season," Cole says. "We look for very special pieces to complement that which we already own and that which we hope to own. So the collection is meant to be one of those special pieces — or more."

Jenna Lyons Vincent Mazeau Park Slope House For Sale
J.Crew

Jenna Lyons's House Is Now For Sale (Update)

>> In the wake of the rumored split of Jenna Lyons and her husband Vincent Mazeau — and her subsequent purported pairing with Courtney Crangi — Lyons and Mazeau's frequently published Park Slope townhouse is now listed for sale.
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Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse

>> In the wake of the rumored split of Jenna Lyons and her husband Vincent Mazeau — and her subsequent purported pairing with Courtney Crangi — Lyons and Mazeau's frequently published Park Slope townhouse is now listed for sale. They bought the seven-bedroom, 4,400-square-foot home, which was built in the 1880s, for $1.3 million in 2004. It is now listed for $3.75 million.

>> Update: The sale of Lyons's home has just closed, according to Curbed. A couple named Vincent and Tracy Martin bought the house for $4 million, seven percent over the original asking price. Lyons's new address is listed at the American Express Carriage House in New York's Tribeca neighborhood.

Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse Jenna Lyons's Park Slope Townhouse
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Alexander Wang Responds to Sweatshop Lawsuit Allegations
Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang Says Sweatshop Lawsuit Plaintiff Was Fired For Being a Bully

>> Alexander Wang has again denied claims that he operated a sweatshop, and said the former employee suing the company for doing so only orchestrated the lawsuit to get even with the company for firing him.
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>> Alexander Wang has again denied claims that he operated a sweatshop, and said the former employee suing the company for doing so only orchestrated the lawsuit to get even with the company for firing him.

A spokesman for Wang told WWD that Wenyu Lu, whose suit against Wang and his brother Dennis claims he was forced to work up to 15-hour shifts without breaks, that Lu only made these claims against the company in retaliation. The spokesman said Lu was dismissed for bullying other employees, something that the company refused to tolerate.

"The claims regarding sweatshop conditions are completely untrue," the spokesman said. "In reality, this case was filed by an individual who was let go by the company as a result of serious harassment issues. We stand by our decision to promote a safe workplace environment for all employees regardless of false claims that may be waged against us in retaliation."

The story Lu's lawsuit told claims he was fired because he applied for worker's compensation after sustaining injuries on the job. The spokesman didn't address Flor Duante, another former employee who's suing the company and claims she was fired because she complained about having to work long hours.

Lu's suit was originally filed in Queens Supreme Court, but was refiled in Federal Court on Friday. Lawyers for Alexander Wang now have 20 days to reply to Lu and Duante's allegations in court.