After making the e-commerce splash by launching a website to host the products of its many fashion brands, French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is upping the ante ever further, investing in Riskified, an e-commerce fraud prevention startup. LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, Celine, Loewe, Givenchy, and Pucci, among other brands, joins investors, including Capital One Financial Corp, in contributing a total of $33 million in new funding round.

Most fashion brands are privately held companies exempt from required public disclosures of revenue and profitability. As a result, it is difficult – if not nearly impossible – to gauge which brands are thriving (à la Thom Browne, which recently made headlines in connection with its burgeoning business) and which are on the verge of a “hiatus,” as Hood by Air so poetically worded its shuttering in April.

Vogue magazine’s parent company is taking on a Taiwanese jewelry company, which has filed to register "Legend Vogue" as a trademark in the U.S. According to Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.’s lawsuit, which was filed early this week in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of New York, a federal court in Manhattan, Legend Effects’ proposed trademark “is likely to cause confusion in the marketplace [and] will cause irreparable harm” to the Vogue brand.

In something of a role reversal, Gucci has been slapped with a lawsuit by notorious copycat retailer Forever 21. According to the Los Angeles-based fast fashion giant’s lawsuit, which was filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Gucci has repeatedly threatened to sue Forever 21 for using an array of its registered trademarks. As a result, Forever 21 is taking the matter to court to wage war against the famed Italian design house. 

It is a common misconception among fashion industry folks that individuals are legally entitled to create brands under their own names and obtain legal protection for such names. It is a similarly common misapprehension that launching an eponymous label is often a good idea and/or a smart business endeavor. Yet, when put into practice, the eponymous label often leads to legal issues. So, what are some of the most common barriers to using your own name in connection with a commercial brand and what - exactly - are the downfalls of such a move?

“Rarely has a sale been as lucrative as the $1 billion the actor and two partners could fetch for Casamigos, the tequila brand they founded only four years ago.” That is what Businessweek wrote of Rande Gerber, George Clooney, and real estate tycoon Michael Meldman's Casamigos brand.

The recently released Apple Music documentary, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story," takes us behind the scenes of the record label started by Grammy winning rapper, producer, and bona fide mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. It focuses exclusively on music, namely, a number of 2016 anniversary concerts with iconic artists including Diddy, himself, Lil Kim, Mase, Faith Evans, Mario Winans, 112, Total, Carl Thomas, and The Lox. In doing so, the film opts not to explore one of Combs’ other striking endeavors: Fashion.  

As a result of continued inquiries, we have a running series of posts outlining some ethically-manufactured “alternatives” to fast fashion. (Find previous lists here). It is worth noting that in general, ethically made garments and accessories tend to cost a bit more than their fast fashion alternatives. However, there are certainly pros in favor of spending a bit more: the quality is significantly better, as is the peace of mind of knowing your clothes were not made in sweatshop-like conditions.

Chanel is pulling out all the stops when it comes to bringing onboard international stars to front its brand. From the likes of French style icon Caroline de Maigret to fresh faces like Lily-Rose Depp and Willow Smith, Chanel has maintained an impressive array of taste markers. It’s latest addition: Korean pop uber-star G-Dragon.