Ciao to Counterfeits

English: National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The downside of designer handbags is the incredible number of fake bags floating around out there. It used to be easy to spot a fake, but the counterfeiters are growing more adept at mimicking Coach and Dior, Louis and Fendi. And that’s a crying shame.

Therefore, I was happy to read in a recent issue of WWD that Versace scored a big win in court over Griffith Suisse Luxury Group, a company that had been selling counterfeit items with the Versace logo on eBay out of the Philippines and Australia. As a result of the ruling, the group cannot use Versace’s trademarks, and is “indefinitely” barred from selling items on eBay. This is an important blow not only for preserving intellectual property rights, but also against child labor and harmful working conditions. It’s easy to imagine that a company that would fake the goods of another would have few scruples about how those goods were made. So, good on you, Versace!

Many of our customers are surprised to hear that it is illegal to resell, as well as sell, fake designer goods. Thankfully, there are any number of useful websites to help separate the real from the fake. Each designer bag has some identifying mark, whether it be a tag, alphanumeric number, plate, or hardware. Besides these “birthmarks,” designer bags are made of top-of-the-line materials, their stitching is perfect and uniform, and the buckles and hardware are premium. The fit and finish of a true designer bag is unmistakable–don’t accept anything less.

 

Project Runway, Ep. 13: There’s No Place Like Home

OK, I’m verklempt this week because my boyfriend Daniel did not make it to Fashion Week. Yes, his collection was underwhelming, but so was Stanley’s. But I’m getting ahead of myself. (Man up, girl. You can do this!)

Our Final Four (FF) are sent home to create their collections for Fashion Week. This is always my favorite part of Project Runway: getting to see the designers on their home turf. It helps me to understand Michelle’s design aesthetic to see her in Portland, Oregon. Or to see Stanley in LA, or Patricia in Taos, or Daniel in Austin. Their homes give context to their work.

Tim is such a lovely, respectful guest, interested in what the designers have to share and forthcoming with advice on what they need to do with their collections. And let me say that I would love to have a studio like Patricia’s–but I would settle for Stanley’s or Michelle’s. However, I’ll skip Daniel’s attic–it looked like the type of sad little garret where you expect Oliver Twist to pop out.

Back in New York, it’s cute to see the FF happy to see each other again–boy, those four months just flew by! The designers get helpers once more–and Layana is pregnant! Poor Tu gets dumped, now that Layana is available.

Stanley’s collection is so unfinished it is frightening. Michelle’s eyes are as big as saucers as she takes in the big swaths of fabric where his garments should be. I predict this will come back to bite him (ok, I saw the previews). Patricia has a lot of work to do as well. I’m not feeling the love for what I see of Daniel’s collection (sniff, sniff). Michelle has some fitting problems, telling the camera that apparently she has made a lot of teeny little pants.

On the runway, however, Michelle’s collection is modern, radical, and cutting edge. Her lone wolf theme is carried cohesively throughout the pieces she shows. I love the hooks on the coat that let you configure your bags in various ways, and the quilting of the pieces. And I love the fact that she used sweet Joe Segal, the designer eliminated eons ago, to do the knitwear for her design. Now, there’s teamwork!

Patricia’s collection is original, complex, and a bit of a mess. She needs to edit her work, and find some cohesive thread.

Daniel is all over the place–he just has too many inspirations. Nina does not see color or shape (ruh-roh), and Heidi is underwhelmed.

Stanley’s collection is meticulously sewn, but old-looking and blah.

Zac Posen gives thoughtful and useful advice to each designer. I love the terms he comes up with–“chic banal” for Stanley, and “steam punk” for Michelle.

In the end, Daniel is auf’ed. But he is just the best, right to the end. He’s the one comforting the other designers (Michelle is CRYING!), and he tells them he wishes he could be there to help them. He leaves us with “It’s never too late to do anything. Just pick yourself up and move forward.” You are a class act, Daniel, and I hope we do hear more from you.

Next week—OMG!!!!! Michael Kors is back!!!!!! There is a God!

 

London Treasures from Fashion Week

I am salivating over the shoes from London Fashion Week. Two pairs that have particularly captured my fancy (and have me scheming and lusting after them) are the low heeled animal print with the embellished toe featured at the Burberry Prorsum show, and the gold open toed booties that shone on the runway at L’Wren Scott. Very different, but so spectacular!

Best Foot Forward

Much as I’m loving a number of the creations at NY Fashion Week, it is the footwear that has sparked my interest. I am especially in love with what I saw from Zero + Maria Cornejo’s showing. There was a pair of beautifully constructed heels in white, red, and black that would sizzle with any number of outfits. But my favorite had to be the slouchy boots the color of dried blood or desert earth–let’s face it, the color escapes my power to describe it. But the look is fresh and gorgeous, and I’m sure I’ll dream about them tonight.

Project Runway Season 11, Ep. 1: There is No “I” in Team!*

I would love to play in the Lord & Taylor accessories wall!

*But there is a “me.”

Last night launched the latest season of Project Runway. Unless you live under a rock, Project Runway plucks 16 designers from comparative obscurity, and puts them through Hell Week(s) of design challenges, sleep deprivation, dark moments of the soul, and a whole lot of backstabbing and catiness (all captured by camera, of course). What also emerges are some fairly fabulous designs, and, at the end, a handful of designers who do have what it takes.

So, Heidi announces to the gathered group this season’s twist–teams! teams! teams! The group is gobsmacked, some opining privately to the camera that their design vision is sacred, they are Type A’s and must be in charge, working with others can ruin your project, blahblahblah. Daniel is the only one who evinces any interest in working in a team (so, will he be sacrificed early on?).

What bothers me throughout the rest of the episode is–why are these designers so averse to working in teams? Yes, yes, I know, creative vision, unspoiled ideas, don’t want to be coerced into changing what is pure and artistic within them. However, fashion is very much a business now–a BIG business–and any established designer is very well aware that he or she must work with others–vendors, investors, department stores, the entities who own large design houses and view them as money-making machines–in order to succeed. Why be so naive?

Anyway, the teams manage to turn out a number of looks that are quite original and interesting. I loved Daniel’s suit–that could have been plucked from Dior’s spring show, with Raf Simons’ black palette. Stanley’s structured suit and Tu’s colorblock dress rocked the runway, too, as did those of several others.

On the downside, what was that mess that James made? I laughed when one of the judges said it looked like “intern couture.” And poor, little Emily. She looked like she wanted to burst into tears and run away when Nina gave her a slapdown for having the most unfinished garment in the history of the competition. From there, it was clear she was going to go, and go she did.

I  loved when Zac Posen said that taste, a design eye, and craft in the hand are what one needs to win the competition. Well put, Mr. Posen. But I miss Michael!

Whose design did you like? Or are you still watching? And isn’t Tim Gunn the best ever?