Lev Leviev Secures $209M Judgment Against Julius Klein Group

A Manhattan federal court judge has confirmed an arbitration award holding the Julius Klein Group and four of its principals responsible for paying $209 million to LGC USA Holdings Inc.
Federal District Court Judge Jesse M. Furman on Monday entered judgment consistent with his opinion and order of Feb. 16 favoring LGC, an affiliate of the Leviev Group of Companies that is headed by Lev Leviev. In the final judgment, the judge noted that the arbitration award of June 30, 2016, was for $142.2 million, representing the face amount of the award of $111.9 million plus prejudgment interest at 9 percent from Feb. 15, 2014, up to Feb. 21, 2017. The federal court judgment also includes prejudgment interest in the amount of $27.9 million each day from Feb. 22 to Feb. 27, 2017, the date of entry of the final judgment.
Word first surfaced in September that Leviev’s firm had won an arbitration award in what was then called an ugly and bitter corporate divorce.
Leviev and the Julius Klein Group formed a joint venture in 2002 where Leviev said he had a 43.5 percent interest in KLG Jewelry. But the parties’ corporate divorce entailed much bickering. Given that the two are heavy

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28.02.2017No comments
Hollywood Designer Adrian to Be Celebrated at the Museum at FIT

LIGHTS, CAMERAS: Going Hollywood meant a one-name moniker for the costume designer Adrian, who was more often than not associated with Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow and the other marquee actresses he dressed.
That part of his portfolio, as well as his ready-to-wear designs, will be explored in “Adrian: Hollywood and Beyond,” an exhibition that bows at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology on March 7 and runs through April 1. Researched by graduate students in the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program, the show will home in on Adrian’s unexpected use of textiles, such as a Wesley Simpson cloth that was illustrated by Salvador Dalí. That will be among the garments showcased with textiles, ads and film clips that show Adrian’s use of printed textiles and unexpected construction methods. At the height of his career at MGM Studios, the designer’s creations were believed to be the most copied clothes in the world, since millions were tuning in to watch the big names, he suited up for the silver screen. His knack for translating Paris fashion trends for a star and magnifying the look for a dramatic effect that enhanced a film’s narrative distinguished his

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28.02.2017No comments
Dior Sets Global Retail Push for Chiuri’s Debut Collection

Dior is marking the arrival in stores of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first ready-to-wear collection with a global retail push combining freestanding pop-ups, partnerships with key retailers and special in-store merchandising.
Sidney Toledano, president and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture, and Chiuri, its artistic director of women’s wear, detailed the multipronged initiative in exclusive interviews with WWD, while retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and Colette in Paris lifted the lid on their plans for the launch.
The project includes several collaborations, the largest of which is a charity partnership with Dior brand ambassador Rihanna’s the Clara Lionel Foundation. The nonprofit will receive a percentage of proceeds from each T-shirt bearing the slogan “We Should All Be Feminists” sold in Dior boutiques and on dior.com until May 15.
British artist Tracey Emin has created an exclusive work of art for Dior’s Paris pop-up store, while New York-based artist, film producer and stylist Maripol will shoot Polaroids of customers at in-store events.
The Paris-based fashion house, which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary, has plans for 15 temporary locations worldwide.
Dior on Saturday inaugurated the first pop-up store in Los Angeles on North Rodeo Drive, a stone’s throw from its existing women’s and

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28.02.2017No comments
Louboutin & the Law: Switzerland Turns Down Red Soles Trademark Request

PARIS — Swiss courts have turned down a final appeal by Christian Louboutin to trademark its red-soled heels in what represents the latest setback in the shoemaker’s quest to defend its rights to the signature look.
The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in Lausanne has denied the high-fashion footwear brand’s demand for trademark protection, finding that the red soles are merely an aesthetic element. The fact that the brand has won the battle for trademark status in other markets including China, Australia and Russia does not mean the shoes should enjoy the same status in Switzerland, the court said.
Louboutin’s fortunes have been mixed during the house’s legal battles for a monopoly on red-soled shoes. In 2011 and 2012, Louboutin and Yves Saint-Laurent engaged in a year-and-a-half tug-of-war over the latter brand’s right to sell shoes that were red all over, including the sole. A New York federal judge denied Louboutin’s claim that YSL’s monochromatic model represented copyright infringement, but the brand was able to retain its trademark for red soles that contrast with the rest of the shoe in an appeal.
In 2013, the Dutch company Van Haren was forced to cease production of a red-soled model when the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled in favor of an injunction by Louboutin, finding that the red soles represented a

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28.02.2017No comments