In the grand scheme of fashion, relatively few designers form connections in their respective eras so deeply that they not only captivate their audience in the moment, but also create garments and themes that simultaneously transition seamlessly into the future landscape of fashion. There are the classic masters, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Jeanne Lanvin, who certainly need no introduction nor do they require an explanation as to why they reside in the position of fashion’s most elite.

The jig is up on the old saying that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." On the heels of Gucci being taken to task for that very Dapper Dan-esque jacket it sent down the runway for Cruise 2018, musician/producer Swizz Beatz has called out Balenciaga for a shirt that the Paris-based brand showed as part of its Spring/Summer 2018 collection in Paris on Wednesday.

Since taking the helm of Gucci in early 2015, creative director Alessandro Michele has faced quite a lot of flak for allegedly copying others' designs. In April, Michele told BoF that the consistent copying claims are unmerited and "make [him] feel really sad." Yet, the complaints of him taking too much "inspiration" from others do not appear to be stopping anytime soon. In fact, it seems that they are only gaining steam. 

In yet another demonstration of the appeal of the Korean pop star in the fashion industry, Fendi has tapped one of BigBang’s most fashion-forward members, Taeyang, to collaborate on a capsule collection and campaign, entitled, “Fendi for TaeYang."

Miuccia Prada rather famously declared a few years ago that in our modern world it does not matter where a product is made. That same logic does not hold up in court. In light of last week’s Selima Optique v. Kering case – in which eyewear retailer Selima alleges that Gucci, YSL, and Balenciaga’s parent company is “deliberately and falsely represent[ing] that their eyeglasses and sunglasses are ‘Made in Italy,’” when “in truth, their products, or substantially all parts of their products, are made in China – is seems an apt time to revisit the labeling laws that govern the fashion industry.

Gucci, the nearly 100-year old fashion house, which is currently owned by Kering, was – like many other luxury brands – founded and initially run as a family business. Founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1921, Gucci was run largely by Mr. Gucci and his successors up until the late 1990’s.  With that in mind, the Gucci family and the brand (which no longer includes any Gucci family members in its ranks) have – unsurprisingly – been in and out of court over the years in connection with battles over the family name-turned-brand name.

It was not too long ago that brands started heavily incorporating the use of others' non-fashion logos into their garments and accessories. Consider Demna Gvaslia's use of DHL's logo for Vetements, Opening Ceremony's adoption of the Kodak logo for F/W 2015, Joyrich's Coke branding, and almost everything Jeremy Scott has ever done for Moschino. The end result presents us with the painfully obvious question: Is this legal?

THE FASHION LAW EXCLUSIVE - Your “Made in Italy” sunglasses may not be quite as Italian as you think, at least not according to a strongly-worded new lawsuit filed against Kering, the parent company of Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, and Balenciaga.  

Goldman Sachs announced on Wednesday that Nike, the world's biggest sportswear maker, is close to finalizing a deal to sell directly on Amazon, raising competition for brick-and-mortar sporting goods retailers and counterfeit sellers, alike, according to Reuters. 

Bucking what appeared to be a dying trend, Amazon announced the launch of a subscription-based box shopping service, Prime Wardrobe, on Tuesday, its latest effort to tap into the apparel market. According to Amazon, Prime Wardrobe will enable Amazon Prime subscribers to access garments and accessories from brands including Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Adidas, J. Brand, Milly, Parker, and Levi's, as well as Amazon's own private labels.