Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2009 has something of a Safari meets Soho Joe look to it. Cool and Creepy in equal measure!
Monthly Archives
June 2008
Just got this in from the Ninja camp : DJ KENTARO on his European tour was decked out in “Ninjins”!
So fashionistas are saying Gucci has gone gaudy for their men’s Spring 2009 Collection:
Milan – Gucci took off on a rock and roll tour Monday in Milan with a men’s collection where the models looked like Flower Power guitarists or arty bassists checking into a faintly louche hotel after their latest gig.
Rarely have we seen a men’s collection with so much embroidery, as Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini sewed tropical flowers on everything from torn striped jeans to white cricket boots or jacquard tuxedos.
As people have been interchanging Gucci and Gauche-i on Kitmeout for the past 2 years, it’s perhaps not the case that Gucci have gone gaudy but simply Gucci (or Gauche-i) remain gaudy!
Martin Ksohoh of RMC Red Monkey Company is videod signing the T-Shirt being offered in the official Red Monkey Competition:
Following the lead of NOHARM footwear, Oliver Sweeney is going ethical and green. Luxury footwear and accessories label Oliver Sweeney, is gearing up to show its greener side by launching a shoe amnesty program. The initiative is set up in association with Green World Recycling in a bid to raise funds for the developing world. Oliver Sweeney is calling for customers to donate any brand of used shoes, which will then be re-sold to raise money for environmental and sustainable projects. Initially, the program will be held at the Oliver Sweeney standalone stores located in London and Leeds. With the shoe amnesty, the label aims to help reduce waste created by the current fashion throwaway culture and in return improve the livelihood of communities in Africa, South America and India.
Oliver Sweeney will act as a collection point for Green World Recycling that takes the donated shoes back to one of their 600 clothing banks. The shoes are then sold in the UK and Europe where money raised goes to under developed countries providing alternatives to current local environmental and social challenges. Projects include improving conditions in village schools, redeveloping irrigation systems and setting up agricultural training schemes.
Running alongside the shoe amnesty, Oliver Sweeney will be offering customers who donate any shoes a 10% discount off of the mainline collection.
Oliver Sweeney was born in Leicester in the heart of England, but left home while still in his mid-teens to seek a living in London.
The story of how he secured a job as a shop-boy in a grand old shoemakers in the heart of London’s West End has become part of the mythology of Oliver Sweeney.
But every bit of that story is absolutely true: Sweeney worked his way up from unpromising beginnings, learning every trick of the trade and the craft of creating quality shoes for men, as well as a good deal about the art of retailing.
This exceptional grounding has stood Oliver Sweeney in strong stead ever since – he has a technical understanding of the business of shoemaking unmatched by any other men’s shoe designer operating in the modern-day market. That’s also why his shoes have a superb fit – and why customers usually end up becoming customers for life.
When Oliver Sweeney finally launched his own label back in 1990, initially in a link-up with famous London department store: Harrods, he quickly established a reputation as a creator of ‘classic-with-a-twist’ shoes for the footwear cognoscenti.
Today he’s still that, but also a good deal more. While his collection still features plenty of those ‘classic-with-a-twist’ styles, it is no longer the core of his business. Sweeney has moved into the fashion arena in a major way – and is now one of the names setting the pace in modern footwear design.
In the year 2000 Oliver opened his own store in Middlesex Street in the City of London. A success in it’s own right leading to the birth of the new flagship store in the heart of London’s, fashionable, West End. The Kings Road store is a must-see for any fashion conscious visitor to London.
In the UK market, he is also one of the most successful British designers, with more than 120 stores stocking Oliver Sweeney shoes and accessories countrywide.
Sweeney has always been appreciated by the fashion press, right back to the early 90s when he was championed by Arena, then considered the most influential of Britain’s men’s style magazines. In those days, his best-selling shoe was the Storm Derby, an immaculately crafted, hard-wearing rubber-soled Derby which Arena staff took to wearing around town.
Oliver Sweeney’s impeccable pedigree has been recognised by many other companies over the years. In the 80s, he was head of design behind the historic McAfee name. Since the late 90s, he has worked with Marks & Spencer; Britain’s biggest clothing retailer and Clarks; the World’s No.1 shoe brand.
Oliver Sweeney shoes combine the creative energy of great British design with the consummate flair of Italian manufacturing prowess. The designer says he has found his spiritual home in Italy. “We use the best shoe factories in Italy”,†he says. “”That means the best factories in the world. The degree of expertise is unrivalled.”
Over the years, the designer has developed a growing celebrity following who love wearing his shoes. His celebrity customers span an incredibly mixed range, from Aussie Olympic gold medallist swimmer: Ian Thorpe to soccer star: David Beckham. The extensive list of customers also includes Brad Pitt, Michael Owen, Prince Naseem, Will Smith, Trevor Nelson, Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, and many more.
The Company has also had great links with the sporting world:The England RugbyTeam, Scotland Rugby Team, BAR Honda F1 Racing. Oliver Sweeney is currently sponsoring The England Cricket Team.
Official Red Monkey jeans Competition has a signed RMC Signature Logo T-Shirt up for grabs:
RMC by Martin Ksohoh, RMC Signature Logo, white crew neck regular fit t-shirt Gold printed RMC Logo on front, printed signature logo on back of neck Short sleeve, woven tab, fine ribbed crew neck Woven signature logo tape inner back neck and shoulder seams Turned back waist and sleeve with double stitched hems 100% cotton. Made in Japan. Size XXXXL.
Full competition details here:
http://red-monkey.rmcjeans.co.uk/official-competition/win-signed-rmc-t-shirt-404.html#post9392
Dover Street Market will feature Chanel on its fifth floor. The pop-up boutique features an edited selection of Ready to Wear, accessories, and shoes from the Metiers d’Arts Paris-Londres Collection. Dover Street Market is a retail concept from Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons.
It is the first time that Chanel will be available at Dover Street Market and will display limited edition pieces, in addition to a selection of iconic pieces from the Chanel collection. From 9th to 25th June. The Metries d’Arts Paris-Londres collection will be available from 9-25th June.
“Speculation is mounting in Europe that Lanvin owner Shaw-Lan Wang is seeking a minority investor.
According to industry sources, the Taiwanese publishing magnate, who bought Lanvin from L’Oréal in 2001, has not given anyone a mandate to sell the business, but has been in contact with potential partners at a time when the brand is enjoying strong momentum and rapid sales growth, sources said.”
Don Ed Hardy Says Tattoo Designs infringed by Christian Audigier
Don Ed Hardy, the first American tattoo artist to study with Japanese experts, sued a former licensee for copyright infringement.
Hardy, who came to tattooing with a degree in printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute, formed Hardy Life in 2004 for the purpose of licensing his intellectual property to third parties, according to the May 29 complaint filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
One of his licensees was Christian Audigier, a high-profile French entrepreneur and fashion designer. In September 2004, Hardy licensed 1,800 tattoo designs to Audigier and Los Angeles- based Nervous Tattoo Inc.
Celebrities such as Shakira, Madonna, Parish Hilton, Leonardo Dicaprio and Kanye West have been photographed wearing clothing derived from Hardy’s designs.
After some initial disputes, the parties negotiated a new license agreement for a 10-year term. This agreement presently covers the business relationship between them, according to court papers.
Nervous Tattoo and Audigier have “refused to comply” with “repeated requests” for samples of packaging, labeling, advertising and products bearing the licensed IP, Hardy said in his complaint.
Beginning in 2007, Nervous Tattoo and Audigier began designing and distributing products with a tagline “Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier,” that Hardy says he never approved. They are also using unauthorized copies of Hardy’s designs, and have created unauthorized derivative works, according to court papers.
Hardy also claimed the defendants transferred ownership of his domain name “Donedhardy.com” to themselves without his consent, and created five additional domain names containing his name.
He asked the court to find that Audigier and Nervous Tattoo infringed his copyrights, are knowingly using counterfeit trademarks, and have misappropriated his domain name. He seeks an order barring additional infringement, seizure and destruction of infringing material and money damages. He asked for additional financial compensation to punish the defendants for their conduct, and for attorney fees.
John J. Dabney, Elliot Silverman and Rita M. Weeks Siamas of Chicago’s McDermott Will & Emery represent Hardy.
The case is Hardy Life LLC, v. Nervous Tattoo Inc., 2:08-cv- 03524-PA-CT, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).
A Manhattan federal judge has ruled in favor of Dooney & Bourke in a four-year trademark battle with Louis Vuitton.
U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin said Dooney & Bourke’s “It Bag” monogram design did not infringe on Vuitton’s Monograme Multicolore handbag collection.
Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest fashion designers in history, died at his home in Paris late Sunday at 71 after a long, undisclosed illness. He had been bedridden recently and friends said in the last week he had been unable to eat or talk. Saint Laurent had been rarely seen over the last year, and even then he was wheelchair bound and weak.
Born in Algeria in 1936, Yves Saint Laurent established houses of couture and boutiques in Paris and New York. He was the foremost assistant to Christian Dior and became his successor as head of the House of Dior at the age of 21.
His early collections were noted for their extreme, maverick quality. He opened his own Paris house in 1961, featuring the “chic beatnik†look; knitted turtlenecks; thigh-length boots; and short jackets. He revolutionized the fashion world by creating trousers and broad-shouldered suits that were images of power for women.
His later designs include sophisticated tweed suits, the Mondrian dress, pleated skirts, updated peasant costumes, tuxedos for women, and heavy costume jewelry. He also designed for the Ballets of Roland Petit. By the mid-1970s his design empire included sweaters, neckties, eyeglass cases, linens, children’s clothes, and fragrances.