FASHION Magazine

It may have looked like Wal-Mart on Black Friday, but over a thousand people outside of a Hong Kong Dolce & Gabbana store yesterday were there to protest rather than to shop. The angry mob took to the brand’s Tsim Sha Tsui location—they were demanding an apology for the ban on taking pictures of the storefront display.

The brand prompted the ban of photo ops outside the store after a distinguished shopper and apparent government official complained about shutters going off outside the store, for fear of appearing in the shots after being scrutinized for owning a luxury watch.

The plot thickened, though, with the rumoured comment made by a security guard at the Tsim Sha Tsui location, that only mainland Chinese tourists were allowed to take photos outside the store, adding fuel to ongoing racial clashes between Hong Kong natives and the mainland Chinese.

In a statement released earlier today, the brand said: “It is regrettable that Dolce & Gabbana has been brought into this matter, but we wish to underline that our company has not taken part in any action aiming at offending the Hong Kong public.”

In the market for gold? Neither are we, but Jean Paul Gaultier has designed a bar of gold for French investment company CPoR Devises. Known for his outrageous designs—including Madonna’s infamous cone bra and a dress made out of bread—Gaultier has gone for a simpler design this time around, adorning the bar with his heart logo.

Sure, it’s always smart to invest during tough economic times, but you can’t really do much with a bar of gold other than brag to your friends that it was designed by Gaultier. If you do change your mind, though, and really want to impress everyone you know, the 25-karat bar is going for the modest price of US$1,861.

Following the recent conviction of John Galliano, the buzz around Marc Jacobs replacing him at Dior intensifies. The latest rumour is that Jacobs and business partner Robert Duffy are in negotiations and asking for a salary package of $10 million.

If Jacobs cashes in on the deal, he’ll be one of the highest-paid designers in the world. The new position of creative director also means more work for Jacobs, adding Dior’s two couture shows on top of his existing workload.

Now that it’s looking more and more likely that Jacobs will say goodbye to Louis Vuitton, the people at Vuitton seem to be scrambling to find a replacement. Apparently they’ve approached many of fashion’s heavyweights including Alber Elbaz, the Proenza Schouler boys, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Sarah Burton, and Hedi Slimane. So far, Elbaz, Ghesquiere and Burton have declined.

By Bianca Teixeira

When Madonna frolicked about in a hot-pink dress singing about being a “Material Girl” back in 1985, we doubt she imagined being sued for ownership of the phrase 26 years later.

L.A. Triumph, a brand that has been selling their own line of junior girls’ clothing under the name since 1997, is taking the singer to court, claiming that her use of the phrase in reference to her Material Girl collection creates confusion for buyers.

The label is demanding that Madonna’s line—for which Kelly Osbourne is the face—turn over all profits made since its launch last summer. Both sides will see the inside of a courtroom in mid-October. A judge has already denied the request by the superstar to have the case thrown out, with Madonna’s reps insisting that she is the “senior user” of the phrase.

Will the real Material Girl please stand up?

This week, we’re exploring the Yves Saint Laurent tote belonging to Caitlin Agnew, assistant editor/research. Her assortment of unusual yet completely essential goodies from as far away as Paris (plaid-covered lint remover, anyone?) denote an attention to detail that she puts to the test in her sleuth-like job here at FASHION.

Let’s explore! »

Forget about Christmas in July, Barneys recreated the holiday in August this morning with news that they will collaborate with Lady Gaga on an unprecedented, multifaceted holiday campaign entitled “Gaga’s Workshop.” The campaign is set to launch in mid-November and is described as a shopping environment based on Mother Monster’s idea of Santa’s Workshop. Not only will she kill it in the Madison Avenue windows—Gaga’s Workshop is taking over the entire fifth floor as well.

Gaga will be aided by installation artists Eli Sudbrack, Christophe Hamaide-Pierson of Assume Vivid Astro Focus, and, of course, her partner-in-fashion, Nicola Formichetti. Barneys boasts that they worked with Gaga and Formichetti to design exclusive gift items (think: jewellery made from candy, lip-shaped chocolate, Gaga-hued lipsticks, and a limited-edition Rubik’s Cube), while Gaga will also curate a collection of books and albums. In true holiday spirit, a quarter of the profits will be donated to a charity of her choice. Now, all we need is a bit of snow.

“There’s only room in town for one Kim Kardashian” seems to be the message the socialite wants to send. On Tuesday, the reality television queen filed a lawsuit against Old Navy for using Toronto-born model Melissa Molinaro in a television commercial, dancing around and proclaiming she’s “super C-U-T-E.” Kardashian, who is in no way affiliated with the retailer, feels like the ad infringes on her oh-so-valuable persona.

What makes the whole issue that much more dramatic (and Kim is no stranger to drama) is the fact that Molinaro is currently dating Reggie Bush, one of the reality star’s ex-boyfriends. One can’t help but question the actual motives behind the suit: Is it a legitimate move to protect the star’s brand or is Kardashian feeling a bit jealous of the new sultry (albeit considerably less famous) brunette?

As far as we know, resemblance isn’t patented. Nor is it strong enough ground upon which to build a lawsuit. What we can say is that the scandal is definitely getting people talking and creating a lot of publicity for Old Navy as well as the previously unknown model.