FASHION Magazine

It seems like Abercrombie & Fitch just can’t stay out of the news. First there was the lawsuit regarding the employee with the prosthetic arm who was forced to work in the stockroom so no one would see her. Then there was that time the retailer tried to pay off Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino so he wouldn’t wear their T-shirts on TV. Weirdest of all, though, is the news today that the Milan flagship store forced its workers to undergo boot camp-like punishment for their misdeeds.

When store workers weren’t cheery enough or didn’t follow orders they were forced to do 10 push-ups (for the men) and 10 squats (for the women). The company has yet to provide a comment but has seriously stepped in it, especially as a company email (written in April) was quoted as saying that the push-up and squat protocol “will bring about a great result—we will learn from our mistakes.”

Ignoring the blatant sexism (women can do push-ups too!), this is one of the most ridiculous things we’ve ever heard. How anybody thought this was a) a good idea or b) a feasible idea is completely beyond us. I mean, did the shop clerks just “drop and give them 10” on the floor? Mid-sale? Shirt-less? Bi-zarr-o.

Alexander Wang is known for his weathered Tees and dresses—but it’s the workers making his clothes who are feeling worn, due to apparent grueling working conditions. After reportedly enduring mistreatment in the form of unreasonable deadlines and unpaid overtime, 30 of Wang’s employees have filed a $50 million labour lawsuit against their employer.

This story reads like a scene out of Oliver Twist, with The New York Post reporting that the workers were “forced to work 16 hours a day or longer—without overtime—in a suffocating, windowless, 200-square-foot room.”

Wenyu Lu, one of the 30 employees of the New York studio, claims that he once fainted and was hospitalized for several days as a result of working a 25-hour day.  He also had to “knit and perfect” a pair of leather trousers (a lengthy 12-hour process) in just four hours. According to Lu’s attorney, the company eventually fired him on February 16 after he filed for worker’s comp.

Wang, who reportedly earned $25 million in 2011, has been a shining beacon of success this early in his career. We only hope that his future is paved with more fairness and honesty.

It’s a story worthy of the next Quentin Tarantino screenplay—a sick and twisted The Godfather meets Confessions of a Shopaholic hybrid. The Shopfather, perhaps? U.S. authorities have busted one of the largest counterfeit circles in American history, after more than $300 million worth of fake fashion has been smuggled stateside. That figure puts this clothing heist on the levels of some of the biggest counterfeit cigarette and crystal meth trades. Seriously.

The questionable fakes ticked all the usual boxes: Burberry scarves, Lacoste polos, and Louis Vuitton bags. But it’s the faux Uggs (since dubbed “fUggs” for obvious reasons) that display some mind-boggling creativity. After the names of honest shipping companies were used to bring the boots into the country, fake labels and soles were peeled off to reveal faux-Ugg branding. One would think that with such creative prowess, the 30 accused smugglers might do something a little more productive with their time.

When questioned on the ethics of his business tactics, one of the crime leaders reportedly said that if you had a problem with his business you should “go be a monk.” Because only monks have morals. While we can definitely understand the appeal of a bargain, counterfeit fashion is continually being linked to horrible crimes. It’s just not worth it. Especially not for a pair of Uggs.

Mary Katrantzou has yet to disappoint us: not only has her much-anticipated collaboration with Topshop already sold out in Europe and the U.S. (have no fear, it launches in Toronto on Tuesday!), but now she plans to create her trademark, surreal-print garms in larger sizes for Net-A-Porter.

Being full-figured herself, the designer is no stranger to feeling alienated in an industry that caters to petites. And so it comes as no surprise that she jumped on board when the luxe online shop asked her to produce plus-size attire.

“I was looking at a size 14 woman wearing our dress and I thought, ‘I can’t believe we don’t go bigger than that size!’ because she looked tiny. […] I buy online—I think as a bigger size, you feel more comfortable trying things at home,” she told the Evening Standard.

The clothes will go up to U.K. size 16 (the equivalent of a U.S. size 12), and while the bold prints may seem hard to pull off, the incredible figure-flattering silhouettes and refined structure will make wearing a kaleidoscopic garden a breeze.

Katrantzou and Net-A-Porter have certainly taken the ropes to create a path for plus-size fashion and we can only hope that other designers and retailers will follow suit. You should never have to compromise style because of a number on a label.

Just when we thought the CFDA was making headway with its policy on improved working conditions for models, a very strange Pop Magazine editorial featuring 16-year-old American model Hailey Clauson has surfaced. Shot by Tyron Lebon and styled by Max Pearmain, the surreal and extremely sexualized shoot includes Clauson posing with nude models (including a porn star) and, in one shot, being choked by the hand of an unknown male.

Jennifer Lopez’ cover on V magazine has everyone buzzing, and not because of her contentious Oscar nip-slip (did it or didn’t it?). Rather, it’s the singer from the block’s get-up that has piqued people’s interest or more specifically, her generously padded jockstrap.

The androgynous cover—photographed and styled by tag team Mario Testino and Carine Roitfeld, respectively—has J.Lo looking one part Million Dollar Baby and one part Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2012.

Frankly, we’re not surprised. Though the aesthetic may be lacking the Parisian elegance Roitfeld is known for, she’s never been one to pass up some good controversy (remember this?). Natch, a bulging jockstrap would just be too much for her to turn down.

The cover comes after a recent push from the fashion industry towards gender-bending (think: Lea T, Andrej Pejic, Kate Moss). And with exciting covers like this coming out we hope the push continues for a long time.

To those who thought Uggie the dog, of The Artist fame, would have upstaged last night’s Academy Awards, it seems that you’ve underestimated the power of Angelina Jolie. And her right leg. The movie star repeatedly—and that’s an emphatic repeatedly—showed off her gam through the up-to-there slit in her strategically-fitting Atelier Versace velour gown à la Wonder Woman (read: hand on hip, right leg far, far, far out). The superhero stance had people everywhere asking, “Doesn’t she have a million six children (not to mention a stylist) to tell her to close her legs?”

Alas, there was nobody to coerce the leg into a friendly retreat as it popped out again and again and finally made its way onto the internet and became a meme. Before the end of the show, there were 3,339 tweets per minute about the “Angeleg,” a bona fide Twitter account with 12,500 followers, and a do-it-yourself ‘Legbombing’ tool. Even the forward-thinking screenwriters of The Descendants popped an exaggerated Jolie pose during their acceptance speech (which, dare we say, was hands down the best of the night).

We’re hoping that “Angelegging” won’t become the red-carpet equivalent of the famous Claudia Schiffer runway walk. But hey, anything to liven up a somewhat predictable red carpet, right?

As the internet and social media moves to replace the lock-and-key diary, it seems that nearly every detail of our lives can be put online. And while we’ve grown to accept and embrace it, there are some facets of our lives that might be harmful when shared. Blogging about a new outfit? Sure. Sharing tips on how to self-mutilate? No go. Tumblr, for one, has had enough.  The site is cracking the whip with a new content policy that plans to prohibit inappropriate material.

Tumblr’s staff blog discloses that blogs that “glorify or promote anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders; self-mutilation; or suicide” will be flagged or even banned. This means that the users who promote such content will either have to delete the content or accompany it with a “public service warning that directs readers to helplines.” The rules are yet to be finalized.

With so many blogs and ever-so-clever users, who are bound to find loopholes, how will Tumblr effectively Big Brother the entire site? Well, flagging search words is a start. The site will set public service announcements when words like  “purging” and “thinspo” are searched.

This is definitely a much-needed step in the right direction, but we can’t help but wonder if users will flock to other blogging sites to promote their content. We hope other blogging sites will follow suit to put an end to what may become a vicious circle.

We’ve been longing for some spectacular—as in, spectacle-laden—fashion since the days of Alexander McQueen’s Widows of Culloden hologram and Galliano’s snow tunnel. And then came McQ’s Fall 2012 finale starring model and actress Kristen McMenamy (all masterfully caught on video).

The grey-haired fashion doyenne (with her tresses in what we can only describe as a cross between a ‘50s pin-up ‘do and a Twister bagel) closed the show in a white tulle wedding gown. But in true McQueen style, McMenamy does so much more than just strut down the runway; she discovers a rope hidden in the floor and artfully prances around follows it.

As she reaches the end of the catwalk, the brick wall disappears only to be replaced by 60 real-life trees straight out of Harry Potter’s Forbidden Forest (we literally gasped) and a little cottage with pulsing lights and techno music. Now that’s our kind of rave.

We think this is a brilliant PR move for the lesser-known brand, which has been trying to realign itself with its eponymous big sister since the two recoupled in 2010. Both Sarah Burton and François Pinault (chief executive of McQueen’s parent company PPR and, more famously, Salma Hayek’s husband) have acknowledged that they are trying to elevate McQ to new sartorial heights. And wow, have they ever succeeded.

We knew an auction was coming, but is it too soon? Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien announced that the highest bidders will soon walk away with a piece of Whitney Houston, as several memorable items donned by the late songstress will be auctioned off.

We’ve all seen leather-skinned, sunspot-covered ladies and gents (we’re looking at you D*n*t*ll*a), who’ve committed too much of their lives to soaking up the rays, and we can’t help but take mental note to wear sunscreen for the rest of our lives. Well, U.K. modeling agencies may save many from future irreparable skin damage—and worse, skin cancer—by banning the usage of sunbeds by their models.

So far, 11 big league U.K. model agencies including Elite, Premier Model Management, Storm and Next, plan to shed a non-UV light on the hazardous beauty regimen, with the signing of a zero-tolerance policy on tanning beds to support cancer research with U.K.’s R UV UGLY campaign.

CEO of Elite Model Management Michelangelo Chiacchio says: “We hope that this will help to send out a strong message to young girls and guys, that sunbeds will have a negative impact on their appearance.” Snooki, take note!

With startling cancer research statements like: “The first time use of a sunbed before the age of 35 increases the risk of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, by 75 per cent,” it should be a no brainer to boycott their use.

With so many alternative and safe tanning products available, we’re sure designers will have no trouble using rub and spray-on self tanners at London Fashion Week.

Well, looks like Kaia Gerber’s going to have to wait at least seven years before following the runway footsteps of her supermodel mom, Cindy Crawford. The modeling legend just announced she’s ending her 10-year-old daughter’s modeling career—at least until she’s old enough to drive.