Fashion

The fashion powerhouse Christian Louboutin (Louboutin) has been litigating to protect its iconic red-soled shoes since 2011.  It began in the United States and has meandered through various courts in Europe, finding its way to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).  Here we take a brief look at Louboutin’s fight to protect its trademark and […]

Retail shops obtain a number of benefits from taking premises which are within a shopping centre or on a section of high street where one landlord is the owner of a number of neighbouring premises. In particular it often means that the responsibility for providing services, including the maintenance and repair of the common areas, […]

Do you know where that dress came from? While a garment’s label is likely to set out the country in which the item was made, consumers have traditionally had very little visibility over the actual hands sewing their clothes. Last week H&M and Next both admitted to sacking a supplier after finding Syrian refugee children […]

Clothing retailers are subject to ever increasing scrutiny from consumers over the working practices and conditions in which their products are being produced, in particular in respect of goods which are manufactured in low-cost locations. In December 2015, Primark hit the headlines when a shopper reported finding a note in a pair of socks which […]

The surprise departure of Raf Simons, the acclaimed Belgian designer, from Christian Dior late last year, reminded us of the pressure placed upon those who are charged with coming up with new designs to feed the fashion industry “beast”. Simons is widely believed to have left Dior in an attempt to preserve his work-life balance. […]

Properly activating a break clause in a lease is a hugely important exercise for any business. Break clauses may seem easy to operate, but they can be full of hidden traps which, if missed by the unwary, may lead to the lease not, in fact, being broken, thereby leaving the tenant liable for the rent […]

It’s not fair to say traditional media no longer have consumer appeal; after all the John Lewis Christmas ad makes its own headlines each year! However, new technologies are creating ways for fashion retailers to connect with shoppers in a cheaper, more immediate manner. Last year, Regent Street was the first street in Europe to […]

In July, the Financial Times announced that “Italian fashion is back in vogue with private equity”. This followed the news of Roberto Cavalli’s acquisition by Italian private equity firm Clessidra; Blackstone’s acquisition of a 20% stake in Versace; The Carlyle Group’s investment in ski jacket maker Moncler; and Mayhoola’s buyout of Valentino. It is understood […]

The English courts were recently asked to restrict fashion retailer ASOS’ use of its brand name, in particular in the context of its online trading operations as ASOS.com. The claim had been brought by ASSOS, a Swiss based manufacturer of cycling clothes. In 2005 ASSOS had registered a Community Trademark in respect of clothing, headgear […]

The use of underage models in fashion is nothing new. You may recall that, back in the 1980s, Brooke Shields caused something of a stir when she fronted a Calvin Klein campaign aged just 15. However, the issue has come back to the fore recently, following the appearance of a 14-year-old Israeli girl, Sofia Mechetner, […]

At the annual review of the Leisure Property Forum held at our offices in early February, the view was taken that the market had now reached such a strength in certain areas of Central London that landlords were choosing tenants for unoccupied units, on the basis of what they did and what product they were […]

Crowdfunding has become an increasingly important method for raising much needed start-up funding for businesses, and the fashion industry is at the forefront of this trend with many crowdfunding platforms having a fashion sector focus. Retail Week recently published a white paper, in association with Crowdcube, analysing the plethora of options open to retailers looking […]