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UnBeige logo by Kevin M. Scarbrough, as part of our regular design our logo feature
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fashionTuesday Jun 30, 2009
Coming Soon: Fashion Week-Themed Video Games
She travels the globe with a massive library of art books and translates fashion designers' eclectic seasonal inspirations ("Blade Runner meets Lord Byron!" "Diana Vreeland on safari!") into influential catwalk makeup, but who knew Pat McGrath was a video game fan? The renowned makeup artist helped to conceptualize Fashion Week Live, a video game franchise now being developed by 505 Games in partnership with entertainment and media company IMG. Slated to debut next year on platforms ranging from the Nintendo Wii to the iPhone, the games will allow players "to enter the world of high fashion at Fashion Week, with a true insider's point of view," according to an IMG press release. "Games will feature world-class industry gurus, top models, and the star-studded runways of Fashion Week events worldwide." And 505 knows something about playing dress-up. Among a new line of games the company developed for the Discovery Kids network is Pony Paradise, which allows kids to "Get stylin' in the stable! Wash and groom your pet pony—add accessories, too!" Where were innovations like this during our childhood, when we had to try out equine smoky eye and nude lip combos on real ponies? Thursday Jun 25, 2009
Philippe Starck Launches Fashion Line None of Us Will Understand for Three Years
Our favorite goofy design person, Philippe Starck, has returned to the scene, having recently made his first step into the fashion world with the launch of his clothing line, which uses the name of most of his products, S+ARCK. In collaboration with the brand Ballantyne, the line will feature waterproof cashmere items that have been designed in such a way as to promote sustainability by lasting a really long time. Thought Starck claims that no one will much care for the products immediately, given that they "are non-photogenic," he says that "the public will take maybe three years to understand the concept." We're not exactly sure why it will take so long for people to catch on (our quick synopsis: most cashmere gets wet, whereas this does not), but that's for Philippe to understand and for the rest of us to be confused over. After all, this was the man who was saying how much he disliked fashion just a few short months ago. And, hey, while we're on the subject, wasn't his reality show supposed to start running back in March? Where's that?! Tuesday Jun 23, 2009
Peter Blake Designs Print for Stella McCartney
We still curse the sense of fiscal responsibility that kept us from purchasing those splendid Jeff Koons-printed frocks that Stella McCartney-showed for spring 2006. Now older, wiser, and able to subsist for weeks on a family-size bag of mixed nuts from the dollar store, we're not about to let her latest art-tastic collaboration pass us by. Famed artist and designer Peter Blake (or as we call him, "Sir Peter") has created a print for McCartney that appears exclusively on a summer capsule collection she designed for high fashion e-tailer net-a-porter. As you might recall, Blake designed an album cover for a band in which McCartney's father played.
Previously on UnBeige: Monday Jun 22, 2009
Katy Perry Fires Back Over Bad Press for 'Katy Perry vs. Katie Perry'
Following our reporting the other day on the news that lawyers representing pop singer Katy Perry had gone after an Australian designer named Katie Perry after the latter had tried to trademark her name, the negative "big celebrity picks on the little guy" buzz started finding its way around the internet, resulting in Perry, the singer, and her record company, EMI, deciding to post a brief note on her blog: In the course of securing trademark protection for Katy Perry in Australia, it came to the attention of her representatives that Katie Howell, a clothing designer in Australia, had filed an application for trademark protection under a similar name in connection with her own clothing design business. A routine notice letter was sent to Ms. Howell, as is customary in trademark practice, alerting her of Ms. Perry’s intended application. Of particular note, we find it interesting the little bending of the facts therein, by referring to the designer using her married name, "Katie Howell," instead of her given name, "Katie Perry" under which she operates her design business. Makes the designer seem a little more nefarious that way, that she was just trying to cash in on the Katheryn Hudson (or "Katy Perry") name. Friday Jun 19, 2009
Eddie Van Halen Goes After Nike Over Shoe Design
Yesterday we shared with you a couple of the latest instances of the more interesting fashion design lawsuits of the week, but it turns out we weren't quite done, as the best one was just waiting in the wings. Musician Eddie Van Halen has filed a suit against the Nike for copyright infringement over a pair of shoes they'd recently released that feature a pattern similar to a guitar Van Halen uses, specifically, "the Frankenstein," which he has had copyrighted since 2001, according to Women's Wear Daily. Apparently this isn't just some accident either, the two items looking similar, as Nike had hired a firm who specifically designs merchandise to resemble music-related paraphernalia. Now Van Halen wants all the shoes rounded up and destroyed, while Nike doesn't sound ready to give in, likely aware at how difficult these types of cases are to win in court: In a statement provided to [Footwear News] by a brand spokesperson, Nike said it was aware of the lawsuit but did not believe it to have merit. "Based on the information provided to us, we have not infringed on any rights held by Mr. Van Halen," it said. "Nike's Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the 'Van Halen' name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe." Thursday Jun 18, 2009
Singer Katy Perry Goes After Designer Katie Perry, While Kay Celine Sues Stein Mart
Outside of maybe the music business, the fashion industry is perhaps one of the most litigious in regard to copyright law. Following Trovata's court battle against Forever 21 last month (which ended in a mistrial, but with Trovata sounding ready to get back in there to try another day), we learned of a couple more interesting fashion-based battles. First up, the Kay Celine design firm is going after discount retailer Stein Mart for "knowingly reproducing and selling clothes that feature a Kay Celine design since at least March." The company discovered the copying after a buyer from Stein Mart approached them to purchase a collection, they said no, and then items that looked remarkably similar started appearing on their racks just a few short months later. As with all fashion/copyright cases, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Second on the docket comes a more bizarre story by way of Australia, where a young designer named Katie Perry has been contacted by lawyers from the camp of musician Katy Perry after the designer tried to trademark her name to cover her clothing line. Despite having been born with the name Katheryn Hudson, the pop singer's lawyers seem very uncomfortable with her brand being put into jeopardy with this Katie Perry (nee Katie Perry) designer's appearance and have sought to block her receiving the trademark. The designer has since formed something of a grassroots movement against the singer, vowing to fight for the rights to the name: Perry, a former menswear fashion manager for retailer David Jones, opened her first retail outlet in the Sydney suburb of Mosman last week, and recently picked up her first stockist, in the NSW south coast town of Kiama. Tuesday Jun 16, 2009
Rodarte Wins Big at CFDA Awards
The Mulleavys took home the CFDA's top honor for their otherworldly womenswear, which Kate described to us last fall as the product of everything from "a lot of trial and error" to—in the case of the spring 2009 collection—an inspired "mixture between science fiction and site-specific art." Meanwhile, Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders and Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein Collection tied for menswear designer of the year honors, while enduring CFDA favorites Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler took home the accessory designer of the year award. The Swarovski awards were presented to Alexander Wang (womenswear), Tim Hamilton (menswear), and Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry (accessory design). Taking home the first ever popular vote award for favorite fashion designer, chosen online by the public, was Ralph Lauren. Previously on UnBeige: Wednesday Jun 10, 2009
Stella McCartney Inks Deal to Create Collection for GapKids, babyGap
Monday Jun 01, 2009
Veronique Branquinho Folds Fashion House
While Branquinho, a graduate of Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts, will take a break from designing under her own name, she was recently appointed artistic director of Delvaux, the luxe leathergoods company. "The motivation for this choice was her highly personal style, her approach to accessories—elegance must remain discreet—and the international opportunities that this cooperation creates," noted Delvaux last month in a statement announcing Branquinho's appointment. "In her designs for Delvaux, she wants to create a tension between recognition—the existing codes of the House—and surprise." Branquinho will also continue teaching at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Friday May 29, 2009
Trovata's Lawsuit Against Forever 21 for Alleged Design Thefts Reaches Courtroom
Speaking of fashion and legal battles, but with far less head-butting (thus far), an important piece of litigation is hitting the courts in California this week. After a few years of wrangling over accusations by the fashion house Trovata that the retail chain Forever 21 has long been stealing its designs and repackaging them under their own brand at a significant discount, the debate has finally gone before a judge and a jury. The outcome should prove interesting, as currently it's murky legal territory, with fashion designers stuck in a position of not really being able to defend their designs, just their copyrighted images. If something changes in this battle and Forever 21 is found in the wrong, it could be a turning point for often-copied designers and a potentially big blow to the copy cats. Here's a bit: "Much the same as a music composer, [the designer] takes notes, chords, sharps and flats and combines them and arranges them to make original music," Trovata attorney Frank Colucci said in his opening statement to the jury of six men and two women. "The notes, the chords, the sharps and flats are all known; it is the way they are combined and arranged that make new music." Update: The week's earlier courtroom battle royale wound up puttering out as quickly as it began and has already ended, in a mistrial no less. But Trovata isn't keen to let this go and already sounds ready to get back into court. PreviouslyKiefer Sutherland vs. Jack McCollough Head-Butting Feud Comes to a Civil End House of Lacroix Files for Bankruptcy Zaha Hadid Designs 'Undulating, Radiating' Boots for Lacoste Morley Safer Journeys to Planet Fashion for 60 Minutes Ralph Rucci to Receive Pratt Fashion Icon Award Fainting, Falling, and Head-Butts: A Tough Week for Fashion Designers Project Blue: Barneys and Elle Auction Redesigned, Recycled Denim for Charity Target Readies Tracy Feith-Designed GO International Collection Does Low Turnout for Matthew Williamson-H&M Pairing Signal End of Fashion Frenzy? Romance Was Born Wins Top Aussie Fashion Design Award House of Lacroix to Change Hands? Harper's Bazaar Partners with Bravo on The Fashion Show Project Runway Says 'auf Wiedersehen' to Lingering Lawsuit Todd Oldham Takes Old Navy to Court Over License Agreements Yoox Moves Forward with IPO Plan Isaac Mizrahi on His New Bravo Show: 'This is Going to Inspire People' Marc Jacobs, Mulleavy Sisters, Narciso Rodriguez Among CFDA Award Nominees Behind the Scenes at RISD Designing Cardigans for Gap Top 10 Quotes of New York Fashion Week Friday Photo: Taking a Shine to Domenico Vacca Joseph Ungoco Leaves Zink for Fashion Site WhatsWear.com Isaac Mizrahi's Fashion Week Fuel: Champagne Truffles, Chocolate Bark Put on Your Sequined Pants, It's Fashion Week! Barbie Rings in 50th Anniversary with Fashion Week Debut Fringe Fashion: FIT Symposium to Explore Subculture and Style Donna Karan Approached Fall Collection with 'Consciousness' Intact On Mark, Get Set, Go Shopping for Vintage! Listen Up, Guys: The Return of the Power Suit, No Apologies Fashion Week Moves Out of Bryant Park and Designer Jason Wu Bows to Anti-Fur Pressure Want the Fabric Used to Create Michelle Obama's Inauguration Outfit? Stiff Upper Lip London and Hats Obama Fashion Round-Up: Hats, Sox and Other Controversies Tony Duquette Sues Michael Kors for Trademark Infringement Mad Men to Take Costume Design to Retail? High Fashion Decides to Ignore Financial Crisis Michelle Obama Now Under Fire for Not Selecting African American Designer Aretha Franklin's Hat Leads to Massive Sales and Jason Yu Called a 'Killer' Design Museum Spotlights Hussein Chalayan Puma Teams with Alexander McQueen for New Line of Clothing, Accessories Fashion Designers Prepare for Our Bleak Future Today Marks the End of the Endless 'Michelle Obama Designer Watch' Roberto Cavalli In Talks to Sell Minority Stake in Company Laid Off? Learn from Lynn Yeager Michael Roberts Takes Care of Business in Cathy Horyn's Vogue Critique Designer Maria Pinto Keeps Quiet on Michelle Obama's Inaugural Attire, Promises to Stay in Chicago Stephen Sprouse Mania!: 2009 Brings Retrospective, Book, Website, and New Louis Vuitton Collection Ecco Domani Announces Fashion Foundation Award Winners Hyped Russian Teen Fashion Designer Kira Plastinina Files for Bankruptcy Bucking 'Sucky Economy,' Thakoon Panichgul Expands Label The Continued Growth of the 'What Will Michelle Obama Wear?' Cottage Industry New York Fashion Week Quickly Losing Designers Brooklyn Museum Will Transfer Costume Collection to Metropolitan Museum Barack Obama Choses Designer for Inaugural Night Tux Microsoft Launches Fashion Line Sneak Preview of Thakoon Panichgul's Collection for Target H&M Confirms Matthew Williamson Is Next Guest Designer, Plans Homegoods Launch Designer Marc Jacobs Pays $1 Million to Get Out of Bribery Charges Alexander Wang Wins CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Prize Fashion Designer Nathan McCarthy Embraces DIY The Daily Beast Gets Hit with Michelle Obama Design Prank Sotheby's Selling Full Set of Visionaire Target Announces Continued Design Push, First with Alexander McQueen Collaboration John Maeda and RISD Staffers Team Up with Threadless Select Potential Preview of Michelle Obama's Election Night Wardrobe by Maria Pinto Met's Costume Institute to Celebrate 'Model as Muse' Candy Pratts Price on Style.com and Substance: 'We Run It Like a Magazine' Henri Bendel Scouts for Designer Goods, Good Designers Pierre Cardin: 'The Future of Fashion Is Sleeveless' Karl Lagerfeld is Sick Of Hearing About Karl Lagerfeld Donald Baechler Enters Artist Handbag Fray A Return to Zaha Hadid's Space Shoes Former Martha Stewart CEO Susan Lyne Has Brand New Bag Museum Pieces: Spring Fashion Inspiration Roundup Seven Questions for Rodarte's Kate Mulleavy Eau de Rodarte: Designers Collaborate with Lexus on Eco-Friendly Candle Friday Photo: Funnel Cakes vs. Fashion Fashion Week: BCBG's Urban Cabana Chic Stefano Pilati Works through Anxieties with Symbolic Ad Campaigns Fashion Week Countdown: Playing Koi Fashion Week Countdown: Alexander Wang Edition American Photo Pays Tribute to Lillian Bassman, Humors Nigel Barker Countdown to New York Fashion Week No More Dresses This Fall? No Way, Bloggers Say Obamas to Revolutionize Fashion World? Chicago Fashion Designer In The Spotlight at Democratic Convention Step On It: Design and Sell Your Own Custom-Designed Shoes A Wiki for Future Project Runway Designers Gap Europe Isn't Firing All Their Designers (Just the Majority of Them) NBC Pages Swap Blazers for Brooks Brothers Ensembles |
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