Almost 20 years after Walmart debuted a tween collection with "Full House" child-stars (turned bona fide fashion industry figures) Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Walmart is boasting about the growth of its online sales, thanks in large part to its fashion offerings. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based multinational retail giant revealed this week that its domestic e-commerce sales grew by 37 percent due to "strong growth" in digital grocery sales, as well as sales of home and fashion goods. 

Prada’s pricey alligator accessories have been at the center of a multi-million dollar legal battle between the Italian design house and a Florida-based alligator contractor. To be exact, $1.2 million worth of alligator hatchlings (in one case) and $2 million in hatchings and grown alligators (in another) – that ultimately would be used to create those accessories – are what gave rise to a bi-national fight, which got its start in 2017 when alligator supplier Caporicci USA Corp. allegedly failed to provide Prada with the 15,000 hatchlings it had paid for. 

The value of the counterfeit market reached $1.2 trillion in 2017, nearly $100 billion of which was directly linked the fake luxury goods. Since the brands that fall under the umbrella of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine, Loewe, and Givenchy, among others, are routinely some of the hardest hit by the black market, the Paris-based conglomerate has taken matters into its own hands in an attempt to assist consumers in determining the authenticity of products – or the lack thereof.  

An individual with close ties to the Kanye camp has allegedly defrauded a South Korean eyewear brand of more than $2.5 million. According to a new lawsuit filed by Gentle Monster, Malik Yusef perpetrated a “flagrant and brazen” scheme to “con Gentle Monster into paying millions of dollars in sham fees” in connection with a music project that never came into fruition because the defendants “neither the ability nor the intent to deliver on their promises,” and instead “were only interested in swindling as much money from Gentle Monster as possible before their scheme was exposed.” 

“No expense is being spared when it comes to putting the right technology in place” and setting up dedicated teams to police Alibaba’s platforms for fakes, says Matthew Bassiur. The company’s Vice President and Head of Global Intellectual Property Enforcement told TFL that the Chinese internet giant – which brought in nearly $40 billion in revenue for 2018 and boasts a monthly mobile active user base of nearly 700 million – spends a “very significant amount” of money each year in furtherance of its intellectual property enforcement efforts. 

Zara might occasionally sell safari-appropriate wares – from lightweight utility-inspired jackets to earth-toned jumpsuits, but it is highly unlikely that consumers are going to confuse the brand with a Tanzania-based tour company, right? That is not what a European Union court held recently in a decision to reject a trademark application filed by Zara Tanzania Adventures for a figurative trademark, which features the word “Zara” along with “Tanzania Adventures” for use in connection with “travel and tourism services,” “wildlife education and training services, ecology, safaris,” and “travel agency and hotel services.” 

“As a global luxury group, we are conscious of the influence exerted on younger generations in particular by the images produced by our Houses,” chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault said on Wednesday. “We believe that we have a responsibility to put forward the best possible practices in the luxury sector and we hope to create a movement that will encourage others to follow suit.” Part of that movement? Only hiring models over age 18 for its brands’ runway shows and photo shoots. 

Dior is busy rolling out its 30 Montaigne bag by way of a truly large-scale influencer campaign, a slew of high-profile media coverage, and early placements on big-name celebrities, including ambassador Jennifer Lawrence and Chinese mega-star Angelababy. In furtherance of its goal of creating its next bottom-line carrying “it” bag, Dior is pulling out all the usual stops that brands employ when trying to get consumers’ attention and thereby, achieve “it” status to boost revenues. 

A photo of Justin Bieber is at the center of a new lawsuit that closely mirrors one involving a photo of Tom Brady. Photographer Robert Barbera, who has been on a litigation spree as of late, filed a copyright infringement against CBS, alleging that the media giant infringed his rights in a photo of Justin Bieber by “reproducing and publicly displaying it” in an article documenting the “most liked Instagram pics” on March 13. According to Barbera, “CBS did not license the photograph from [him]” for its article, “nor did CBS have [his] permission or consent to publish the photograph on its website.” 

THE FASHION LAW EXCLUSIVE — It is one win after another for Louis Vuitton in a decision filed by a California federal judge on Tuesday. In response to a motion to dismiss filed by the U.S. arm of French luxury goods brand Louis Vuitton, Judge John Walter of the U.S. District Court for Central District of California dismissed the case in its entirely, declaring that Pooey Puitton-maker MGA Entertainment “failed to allege sufficient facts to establish that an actual controversy exists between” it and Louis Vuitton, and as a result, the court lacks the jurisdiction necessary to hear the case.