Disgraced fashion designer John Galliano has brought a labor relations suit against his former employer, Christian Dior Couture, and its subsidiary label, John Galliano SA.  The Gibraltar-born British designer and 15-year Dior couturier was ousted from his creative director roles at the two design houses after his February 2011 arrest and conviction for a racist [...]

Twice a year designers, models, and fashionistas descend on Lincoln Center for New York Fashion Week. The eight-day fashion blitz is marked with runway shows, after-parties and special events throughout the city. This year even super storm Nemo, which blanketed Manhattan with a foot of snow, proved an unworthy opponent for the elite fashion show. [...]

Fans of Christian Louboutin’s distinctive shoes got to kick up their heels and rejoice this past September when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the brand’s trademark on its lacquered red soles, but unfortunately for the fashion world the controversy rages on between Louboutin and trademark challenger Yves Saint Laurent. Paris-based [...]

Already, LLC v. Nike, Inc. was heard by the Supreme Court on November 7, 2012.  Already is one of the few trademark cases to be heard by the Supreme Court, with certiorari granted on June 25, 2012.  At issue is whether a case or controversy remains after a plaintiff grants a broad, irrevocable covenant not [...]

Shoe designer Charles Philip has accused Gap of using similar designs, in addition to using his name, in their recent line of slipper moccasins. The main contention is the striped design on the inside of the shoe, which Philip claims is his trademark. According to the designer, calling the shoes the “Philip slipper” and the [...]

The New York Times observes that fast fashion chain Zara doesn’t copy designs exactly, but changes designs to satisfy copyright law. Inditex, the company that owns fast fashion retailer Zara, manufactures clothing at a rapid pace, shipping new merchandise to its thousands of stores as often as two times per week. Zara offers on-trend clothing [...]

Can the essence of a brand be knocked off? Chris Burch, the ex-husband of fashion designer Tory Burch, seems to have done so.  His chain of C. Wonder stores appear to mimic both the specific products and the essence of Tory Burch’s eponymous brand. Tory Robinson, who worked in fashion P.R. in New York City, [...]

The dramatic saga between Louboutin and Yves Saint Laurent is coming to an end, it seems. Since April 2011, the two fashion empires have fought over the right to sell shoes with red-colored soles. This past September, the New York Federal Court of Appeals came out with a ruling that was somewhat of a compromise. [...]

Last year, the legal battle between Christian Louboutin and Yves Saint Laurent (now called Saint Laurent Paris, of course) shook things up in the fashion law/intellectual property arena. The question posed was: Does Christian Louboutin have the protected right to exclusively produce shoes with those fantastic signature red soles? In order for a color to [...]

Lululemon Athletica filed suit against Calvin Klein for infringement of three yoga pant patents.  The specific design elements in Lululemon’s complaint include the waistband and pant styles.  As the Canada-based Lululemon continues to expand in the U.S. market, the company is seeking unspecified damages, lost profits, and royalties in addition to an injunction barring the [...]