According to the brand’s complaint, the websites siphon customer traffic from Gucci and essentially operate within a black market network for fake designer products. Gucci said in the suit that it spends “significant monetary resources” to ward off counterfeiters, and have asked for millions in statutory damages: $2 million for each counterfeit item the web sites sold.  

“The exponential growth of counterfeiting over the Internet has created an environment that requires companies, such as Gucci, to file a large number of lawsuits, often it later turns out, against the same individuals and groups, in order to protect both consumers and itself from the ill effects of confusion and the erosion of the goodwill associated with the Gucci brand,” the company said in the suit. 

The websites named in the suit are registered in the U.S. and overseas, and run by unknown businesses, according to the complaint. Gucci, which sued the defendants for various trademark violations under the Lanham Act, also sought a restraining order and injunctions to block the companies from selling alleged counterfeit Gucci products. 

“If defendants’ counterfeiting and infringing, cybersquatting and unfairly competitive activities, and their illegal marketplace enterprise, are not preliminarily and permanently enjoined by this court, Gucci and the consuming public will continue to be harmed,” Gucci said in the suit.

Toki Sen-I Co sued the rapper earlier this year, accusing his Yeezy brand of not paying them for materials and work done for his sneaker line. Kanye claims no wrongdoing and says they never delivered the materials and that’s why they didn’t get paid. He wants the case thrown out completely.

The fabric supplier says Kanye should not be allowed to screw people over just because he is famous. Toki says Kanye may have used his celebrity status to deceive other manufacturers in the past and says, “Even more worrisome, Defendants might use its celebrity status to deceive other fabric manufactures in the future.”

According to The Blast, they want the case to move forward, plus punitive damages in order to “punish the wealthy Defendants for their fraudulent and malicious behavior and to set an example to deter the Defendants and similar celebrity brands from using their status to defraud hardworking, innocent, and unexpecting vendors such as the Plaintiff.”

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, the co-founders of fashion company Dolce & Gabbana, have been under major scrutiny this month over a series of promotional ads they released that fans and critics deemed racist and offensive. This week, the duo issued an official apology video, in Chinese with subtitles, pleading for forgiveness. 

The controversy began when the fashion brand posted a series of videos to its official Weibo page, which is a Chinese version of Twitter. In the ads, an Asian model attempts to use chopsticks to eat pizza and other Italian food. Many Chinese social media users called the videos racist and full of outdated stereotypes. 

Immediately following, the hashtag #BoycottDolceGabbana was trending and promoted the designers to cancel their upcoming Shanghai fashion show. According to Fox News, backlash also came from multiple stores, including Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, who have stopped selling Dolce & Gabbana merchandise and even many Chinese e-commerce sites have removed their products.

In the apology video released online by D&G, both designers express their remorse for the ads and the outrage they have caused. Dolce said, “We have always been in love with China. We love your culture and we certainly have much to learn. That is why we are sorry if we made mistakes in the way we expressed ourselves.” Gabbana added, “We will never forget this experience, and it will certainly never happen again. From the bottom of our hearts, we ask for forgiveness.”

Michael Kors is on a mission to take over the fashion world by adding other brands to their portfolio. In 2017, Michael Kors bought Jimmy Choo for $1.2 Billion and now the brand is ready to add Versace to their list.

Early Monday, rumors began to circulate about Michael Kors’ plan to acquire the iconic Italian design house for about $2 Billion.

According to Elle, if Michael Kors acquires the brand, the Versace Family will no longer have ownership of its namesake label for the first time since Gianni Versace founded the design house almost 40 years ago. Donatella Versace, sister of the late Gianni, and the Versace family currently own 80 percent of the company after selling 20 percent to US private equity group Blackstone in 2014. If the purchase goes through, the Versace family will still have a role in the company in some capacity, but Blackstone will sell its stake in the company.

Sources say that an official buyer would be announced as early as Tuesday. Other potential buyers include Tiffany & Co. LVMH, PVH Corp. and Tapestry. There are currently no official agreements at this moment.

The fashion world is mourning after news surfaced that fashion designer #AzzedineAlaïa has passed away at the age of 77 in Paris.

The Tunisian-born couturier was known for his clingy style, which is why he was named “the King of Cling.” The designer showcased his first ready-to-wear collection in 1980 that featured leather, and of course, clinging details.

Many celebs have been spotted wearing the designer over the last three decades from Naomi Campbell, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Victoria Beckham, Nicole Kidman, Lady Gaga, and even our beloved former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

In July, Azzedine Alaïa showed off a surprise couture collection, his first since 2011. For the show, the beautiful Naomi Campbell made a rare appearance and fashion lovers across the world were in awe.

The designer left a major impact on the fashion world that will forever be instilled in wardrobes across the runway world.

Details of the designer’s death have not been released. Our prayers are with the family and friends of Azzedine Alaïa.

There are many brands that get their inspiration from other designers. Brands take the inspiration and create their collections, which is becoming a bit annoying to the designers that are getting their style jacked.

When you become a fashion designer, you are taking your creative thoughts and bringing them to life. Over the years, we have also seen some of our favorite stores such as Zara, Steve Madden, ASOS, and more,  carry designer-inspired pieces.

Well shoe designer, Brian Atwood, is not pleased with Aldo’s latest Valentine’s Day Collection. Over the weekend, the designer posted a message on Instagram voicing his frustration. “They say imitation is the highest form of flattery…is it,” said Atwood. “Shouldn’t we be getting royalties?” Along with the caption, he posted pictures of his collaboration with Donald Robertson lip print collection and a pic of the pump from Aldo.

The Brian Atwood x Donald Robertson’s  white canvas pumps features a bold red lip motif designed by fashion illustrator Donald Robertson. The pumps were sold for $498.

The “Stessy K” pump from Aldo features bold red lips throughout the pump with a 4″ heel. The brand also a red patent leather version of the pump with red lips along the sole. The pumps are available for $80.

I definitely understand the frustration of any designer that works hard on their designs. To have your hard work copied and someone else take credit for your work. I can see the similarities within the pumps as far as the red painted lips. Honestly, I don’t think Aldo copied the designs. Valentine’s Day is approaching and when you think of the romantic holiday you think of hearts, lips, red, candy, and romance. This could be just a coincidence, but I could be wrong!

Do you think Aldo copied Brian Atwood’s Lip Collection Pumps?