Top Fashion Stories of the Week: January 6th

Kicking off a new year, fashion presents a mixed mix of business deals, changes of creative directors and launches of new collaborations. If anything, it’s revealed that the upcoming fashion year will include a wide variety of moments worth discussing, big and small.

adidas and Thom Browne appearing in court over an ongoing three-stripe trademark dispute; Dry Q4 Forecasts suggest that the Balenciaga advertising controversy may contribute to the decline in numbers; California became the first state to ban the sale of fur; and Louise Trotter left Lacoste as creative director. Outside of business, Marni and Carhartt WIP team up for a funkadelic offering, the Dior x ERL “California Collection” coming to DSM, LouisVuitton launched the Yayoi Kusama collaboration in NYC and Fendi and Tiffany & Co. united for a pure silver Baguette Bag.

Below, HYPEBEAST has rounded up the week’s top fashion stories so you can stay up to date with trends in the industry.

adidas and Thom Browne Go to Court Over Three Stripes Trademark Dispute

Last Tuesday, adidas and Thom Browne appeared in Manhattan’s Southern District Court regarding the ongoing Three Stripes trademark battle. Although a trademark infringement and dilution complaint was filed against Thom Browne in June 2021, the recent emergence marks a new point for big-name troubles. The sportswear brand claims that the Browne brand is imitating [its] the three-stripe brand in a manner likely to cause consumer confusion and deceive the public as to its source, sponsor, association or affiliation, which, in turn, permanently harms the adidas brand and its invaluable value [mark].

Accordingly, adidas is seeking damages of $867,225 USD for potential licensing fees in addition to a $7 million USD profit, according to adidas lawyer R. Charles Henn Jr. from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP viaWWD. See the post at the link above for more details on both sides’ claims in court.

Dry Q4 Forecast Suggests Balenciaga Advertising Controversy Contributed to Lower Numbers

Balenciaga hasn’t run out of hot water yet and as a result, it looks like it might take a hit as Kering. Due to Balenciaga’s 2022 advertising controversy, the brand suffered significant business losses in the US and UK markets, according to a WWD report on HSBC’s recent equity research.

The report details the Q4 forecast for Kering, which could see a 3.1% decline, consisting of Gucci’s 12.5% ​​decline and the other brand’s 8% increase figure. However, as official figures have yet to be released, it remains unclear to what extent the Balenciaga controversy will hurt Kering. Balenciaga aside, Gucci’s latest makeover will result in a makeover at Kering too given the recent departure of creative director Alessandro Michele.

Balenciaga represents around 10% of the Kering group’s 2021 sales, while Gucci’s numbers stand at 55%. Stay tuned for more details on Q4 Dry when the official Q4 report is released next month.

Louise Trotter Quits Lacoste

From Alessandro Michele leaving Gucci to Raf Simons closing his eponymous label, 2022 was a year of major creative director changes that sent waves across the industry. It looks like 2023 continues that trend as Louise Trotter has left Lacoste as creative director after four years running.

Trotter joined Lacoste in 2018 and showed his first runway show with the brand in 2019 during Paris Fashion Week. On its way out, Trotter showed his latest collection to a private group last year and will be part of the brand’s SS23 collection.

California Is Officially the First State to Ban the Sale of Fur

California takes a new step toward animal protection and environmental justice by becoming the first state to ban the sale of fur. The ban went into effect on January 1 and bans the sale and manufacture of new animal fur products.

To be clear, the law does not prohibit the sale of used fur products that would appear through thrift retailers or non-profit thrift stores. The law also did not affect fur ownership rights. Therefore, wearing real fur in California is still legal. In addition, the ban affects department stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus in states that have either closed their fur salons or have not closed fur sales, according to WWD.

We thank California for taking a stand against the abusive fur industry by imposing a statewide ban on the production and sale of new fur products, said Jenny Berg, California state director for the Humane Society of the United States, in a statement.statement.

Check out the Official Funkadelic Fusion from Marni and Carhartt WIP

Marni Francesco Risso first teased his collaboration with Carhartt WIP last year, and now the collection has finally been revealed. To bring the funky collaboration to life, the brand engaged Bootsy Collins, his wife Patti Collins, Bootsy Vincent and Babyxsosa’s grandson.

Blending Marni’s quirky rhythm and colors with Carhartt WIP workwear styles, the uniform cuts are realized in color block construction and floral prints with collaborative branding. Highlights of the collection include the Active and Chore jackets, which come in green/white, yellow/black and warm colorways.

The Marni x Carhartt WIP collection will be released on January 14 at Carhartt WIP stores, Marni boutiques and at Mars site.

Dior and ERL’s “California Couture” Collection Coming to DSM This Week

Dior and ERL have finally released their “California Couture” collection at Dover Street Market, which was first revealed in May. Filled with an array of gorgeous hues, high style meets Cali comfort in the much-anticipated collaboration.

Pieces like quilted puffer jackets, pastel-colored satin suits and more graced the bold blue runway. Kim Jones of Dior noted that the glamor of the Christ Dior period in the United States served as a focal point in compiling the collection. HYPEBEAST recently caught up with Kim Jones and Eli Russel Linnetz to discuss the collection’s lovable impact.