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Erin Clark

Fashion Journal

Fashion Business

Fall 2012

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Table of Contents

Entry #1 – Pages 3-4

Article – Page 5-7

Entry #2 – Page 8

Article – Pages 9-11

Entry #3 – Pages 12-13

Article – Page 14

Entry #4 – Pages 15-17

Entry #5 – Page 18

Entry #6 – No Entry

Entry #7 – No Entry

Entry #8 – Page 19

Entry #9 – No Entry

Entry #10 – No Entry

Entry #11 – Page 20

Entry #12 – Page 21

Entry #13 – Pages 22-25

Entry #14 – Page 26

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#1 Women’s Wear Daily- November 1, 2012

The Kardashian girls have a new make up line called Khroma, not to be confused

with the already popular brand Chroma. It seems as if they have created quite the

dispute between the two companies. The owners of Chroma Makeup Studio said, “For

the two lines to coexist would almost be impossible because there is so much

confusion.” Because of the one letter difference in their brand names, it’s logical to

think that Chroma has joined in on the Kardashian’s line, which is exactly what they

don’t want customers to think. Chroma sent an email that was also posted on their

website in order to help straighten out any confusion. They said their company “has a

long-standing reputation for high quality color and services” and “is NOT endorsing low

budget cosmetic products that will be sold in mass retail outlets.” The Khroma line came

back at this statement saying “Khroma Beauty by Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe is clearly

marketed together with the famous Kardashian brand name and will be sold with

singular and distinctive trade dress.”

Chroma has not taken any legal action against Khroma; however, they have

hired an attorney to represent their brand if they decide to. Owner of Chroma says,

“The whole thing would go away if they didn’t have our name…It has already started

to hurt us…We are prepared to do anything we have to defend our brand and mark”

Upon reading the first paragraph of the article and finding out that the

Kardashian’s named their cosmetics line so similarly to that of another cosmetic line, I

thought, “Why would they do that?” I’m still at a loss as to why they would choose to

name it so similarly, as if they or their creative team can’t think of something more

original to name their line. I am definitely sided with Chroma on this. Chroma says the

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similarity in names has already started to affect their business in a negative way.

Granted, the two lines are now in competition with each other, though I definitely

don’t think Khroma should be more successful just because they substituted a “K” for

an already trademarked name.

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Kardashians in Dispute over Cosmetics Line

What difference does a “K” make?

That letter, made ubiquitous by the Kardashians, who have stamped it on everything from

their Kardashian Kollection with Sears to their K-Dash stores, distinguishes Khroma, the

cosmetics line by sisters Kourtney, Kim and Khloé Kardashian launching this winter at

Ulta, from Chroma, a Beverly Hills makeup studio and brand. But Chroma Makeup

Studio owners Michael Rey III and Lisa Casino argue that the letter swap isn’t stopping

its customers from thinking Chroma has joined the Kardashian licensing juggernaut.

“We are one block west of Rodeo on Little Santa Monica. Everybody walks by us to get

to Sprinkles. We couldn’t be any more visible, and we are disappointed that they would

choose a name, regardless of whether there is a ‘C’ or a ‘K,’ that is being used already,”

said Rey, adding, “For the two lines to coexist would almost be impossible because there

is so much confusion.”

Chroma sent an e-mail letter and posted that letter on its Web site Monday in an attempt

to diminish any confusion by informing its customers that it is not associated with the

Kardashian’s makeup venture and asserting Chroma will defend its trademark and

reputation. Chroma “has a long-standing reputation for high quality colour line cosmetics

and services” and “is NOT endorsing low budget cosmetic products that will be sold in

mass retail outlets,” read the letter.

In a rebuttal to Chroma Makeup Studio’s letter, Boldface Licensing + Branding, the

licensing company creating the Khroma Beauty line, stated that it obtained the rights to

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use the Khroma Beauty by Kourtney, Kim and Khloé name in the color cosmetics

category by filing “proper legal” documents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Boldface also declared that consumers won’t have trouble differentiating Chroma and

Khroma, and took issue with Chroma’s characterization of Khroma as “low budget.”

“We do not believe that there is any likelihood of confusion between Khroma Beauty by

Kourtney, Kim and Khloé and any other entity, given that Khroma Beauty by Kourtney,

Kim and Khloé is clearly marketed together with the famous Kardashian brand name and

will be sold with singular and distinctive trade dress,” said Boldface chief executive

officer Nicole Ostoya. She continued, “We adamantly object to statements about the

products’ quality due to the distribution choice and caution others who do so without any

basis for such statements.”

Khroma is potentially big business for the Kardashians, and industry sources have

estimated it will generate $45 million to $50 million in first-year sales. Chroma pulls in a

fraction of that amount, but Rey said it has still lost money due to the similarities between

Chroma and Khroma. “We feel it has devalued our line,” he said.

Although Chroma has taken no legal action against Khroma, Rey said Chroma has hired

attorney Paul E. Thomas from the law firm Fredrikson & Byron to represent Chroma in

court if Chroma ultimately pursues legal remedies. “At this point, it is sort of a wait-and-

see situation,” said Rey “If it requires us to file legal action, we will do whatever it takes.

Our goal is to resolve this in an amicable way.”

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Rey elaborated: “The whole thing would go away if they didn’t have our name. Our first

wishes would be to make the problem go away and not have to have this battle because of

the name. Basically, that would be our first preference. Realistically, we look at it that

they are the Goliath. How do we stop them from using the name? Is it going to be

possible? If it is not possible, what does that mean for us? We don’t know. It has already

started to hurt us. To come to some sort of amicable solution [is what we want,] what that

is we don’t know. We are prepared to do anything we have to do to defend our brand and

mark.”

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#2 Bloomberg Business Week- November 15, 2012

While diamonds still dominate the market at $21 billion, after decades of no

competition, they are starting to gain a bit with sales for emeralds, rubies, and

sapphires on the rise. Though these three gems are rarer than diamonds, they are

surprisingly cheaper. While the sales for these gems are beginning to increase, sales for

diamonds have been decreasing for the last five quarters. Because of the increasing

popularity for the colored gems, the diamond industry is starting to worry. While the

diamond industry has lost another a half a percent in sales, emeralds, rubies, and

sapphires are become more valuable, causing prices to soar since 2005, yet are still less

expensive than diamonds.

Diamonds have been quite influential in the fashion industry for many decades.

From Marilyn singing “Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend” to Liz Taylor’s popular

diamond necklace to Audrey’s Holly Golightly, women all over have been infatuated

with the idea of wearing diamonds for the image of beauty, wealth, and importance.

However, because today’s celebrities have started wearing more than just diamonds,

such as Kate Middleton’s engagement ring that features a large sapphire surrounded

by diamonds, more and more women are becoming interested in the colorful aspect of

these stones. While I like the idea of adding color to an engagement ring, I still like the

tradition of having a diamond ring. I do think that it’s about time for other stones to

make a move in the jewelry industry; however, I don’t understand why these gems are

nearly half the price of diamonds if they are so rare, though I’m not complaining.

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Maybe Diamonds Aren’t Forever

Ian Harebottle is looking for the next Marilyn Monroe. The chief executive officer of

London-based Gemfields (GEM), the world’s largest producer of emeralds, says he’s

seeking “an A-lister” who can do for the green gems what Monroe did for diamonds

when she sang Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Monroe’s performance in the 1953 flick added extra sparkle to diamond sales.

Diamonds still dominate the $21 billion precious stone market, accounting for 90 percent

of all sales, according to BMO Capital Markets (BMO). But for the first time in decades

they have a little competition from the colored also-rans in the gem trade. Rarer than

diamonds yet cheaper, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires are gaining favor just as sales for

diamonds are beginning to show weakness. Polished diamond prices have fallen for five

straight quarters as jewelry buyers in Asia and Europe become more cautious about

luxury shopping, according to PolishedPrices.com. Uncut diamond prices are heading for

their first annual decline since 2008, according to WWW International Diamond

Consultants.

Colored gems’ rising popularity is starting to worry the diamond industry. “During the

past three years these other gemstone categories have taken away yet another half percent

from our market share,” Moti Ganz, president of the International Diamond

Manufacturers Association, said in a speech at the World Diamond Congress on Oct. 15.

As a result, colored stones are becoming more valuable. Prices for high-quality emeralds

have soared more than tenfold in the past three years, according to Gemfields company

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filings. Cut rubies have risen in value 63 percent since 2005 and sapphires by 45 percent,

according to Gemval, an online gem appraisal site.

The reason for the shift in tastes is multifaceted. Colored stones are still less expensive, a

plus for star-struck lovers on a budget during hard times. A 0.9-carat round diamond

that’s internally flawless and of rare white color costs about $7,000, according to online

retailer Blue Nile (NILE). A round emerald with “excellent clarity” of the same size costs

about half as much, according to online vendor AfricaGems.

Some of the interest in colored stones is “celebrity driven,” says Caitlin Mociun, a

Brooklyn-based jewelry designer. “One reason might be Kate Middleton having a

sapphire engagement ring, or even Beyoncé having a black diamond engagement ring.

Those things, especially for a mass market, can definitely drive a trend.” Hollywood

personality Jessica Simpson’s engagement ring sported two diamonds, but the ruby in its

center got all the press and sparked numerous knockoffs. Halle Berry’s ring featured a 4-

carat emerald that several celebrity magazines breathlessly announced came from

“closed-down mines in Muzo, Colombia.” At a gem trade show in Hong Kong last year,

Russell Shor, an analyst with the Gem Institute of America, immediately noticed the new

interest in colored stones. “People were all of a sudden really hot to buy emeralds,” he

says.

That may not be an accident. Harebottle, whose company produces about 20 percent of

the world’s emeralds, is increasing Gemfields’ marketing budget, trying to exploit

fissures in the diamond industry that until recent years was controlled by De Beers. Until

the 1940s, the colored-stone market was about equal in size to the diamond industry.

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Then, in 1947, De Beers coined the slogan “A Diamond Is Forever,” later voted the best

of the 20th century by Advertising Age. De Beers funded most of the marketing for the

diamond industry through its generic marketing, similar to the dairy industry’s “Got

Milk?” campaign. That changed in 2004 when De Beers’s monopoly ended after it

pleaded guilty to price fixing in the U.S., concluding a 10-year legal battle. The diamond

industry became chaotic and the amount spent on marketing plummeted, with De Beers

cutting its ad budget in half, according to Stephen Lussier, the company’s executive

director in London. The industry tried to reorganize in 2008 at a meeting in St.

Petersburg, Russia, that led to the creation of the International Diamond Board. But

members, including Russian state monopoly OAO Alrosa and mining giant Rio Tinto

(RIO), failed to come to an agreement over how to fill the advertising void left by

De Beers. “Not all people were willing to do their part,” says Lussier. “De Beers can do

its part, but it alone is not enough.”

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#3 Vogue- October 24, 2012

Yes it’s true. Velvet is back. Maybe not exactly how it was popular before like in

historical festivals or on eighties dresses’ pouf sleeves, but it is back none the less. The

first stop it’s making is in this fall’s baroque trend. However, it’s not necessary to wear

it in reference to “royal courts.” We can wear it in the simplest ways like velvet jeans or

as an outfit accent. You don’t have to feel like you’re overdressed in it, either. The best

way to wear it is to use it in an unexpected way. Christopher Kane used velvet black

roses on a purple skirt, Jason Wu use it on straps of a pair of heels, and Peter Pilotto

used it as patchwork on a cute party dress.

Just like most of the rest of the population, I know there are ways to overdo it

when it comes to velvet. However, velvet is very rich looking and can be used

beautifully. Like the article says, the key is to use it in very simple ways. Currently,

fashion designers are using it in dress designs, suits, skirts, jackets, etc. We see

celebrities wearing it in fashion magazines and models wearing it in advertisements. I

think velvet can be really beautiful when fashioned properly. I love the way the light

reflects off of it and how it drapes. Below are some examples of designs that feature

velvet.

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Velvet Revival: 15 New Takes on the Fall Trend

Velvet is undergoing a renaissance. Although its past associations include historical

festivals, A Christmas Carol on Broadway, and sumptuous pouf sleeves on eighties

dresses, it’s time to wipe the slate clean—and then swathe it in velvet. The first entry

point into the plush rebirth is fall’s baroque trend. Velvet’s innate opulence lends itself

well to channeling seventeenth-century grandeur, especially when accessorized with

gilded headbands and swollen stone earrings. Or forgo actual jewels in favor of Versace’s

black velvet coat printed with gem-encrusted crosses. If referencing royal courts is too

literal, there are plenty of simple ways to wear it, too. Current/Elliott’s velvet jeans are

the antithesis of regal cloaks; you may be the first person to ride a bike or read the

Sunday paper in velvet. It also functions as a cool accent. Take Christopher Kane’s fuzzy

black roses printed on a purple tulle skirt, the soft merlot straps on a pair of Jason Wu

heels, and the cross-body velvet patchwork on Peter Pilotto’s perfect party dress. But

velvet pieces are a lot like diamonds: Whether serious or playful, you have to commit.

The best ways to wear the fabric without feeling cloaked in suffocating richness is to

incorporate it an unexpected way. A tiny Miu Miu ruby clutch paired with well-worn

denim is fun, not fancy, as is Junya Watanbe’s crushed velvet biker jacket (so not leather)

and Aquilano Rimondi’s jacquard collar (equal parts ironic and irresistible). Even Rei

Kawakubo got in on the action, creating velvet pieces for Comme des Garçons that are

surprisingly structured. Suffice it to say, velvet’s no longer underground.

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#4 Fall 2012 Trends

This fall was full of cute trends. Trends included scarves, skinny jeans, knee high

boots, knits, leathers, and velvets. It was very colorful while, of course, including the

necessary neutrals like brown and tan. Prints were also very popular this season! You

could find anything from neutral animal prints to fun and outgoing stripes and florals.

To get to this conclusion, I was alert of what people walking around Chicago were

wearing as well as flipping through magazines and browsing different fashion sites on

the web.

There are several similarities and differences between fall fashion trends in 2011

and 2012. Last year velvets were popular as well. Knee high boots, blazers, and bright

colors were used. On the other hand, leggings were in style last year where as this year

they’re not seen nearly as much on the streets. Long jackets and coats, grays and

whites, and furs were on trends as well.

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Fall Fashion Trends 2012

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Fall Fashion Trends 2011

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#7 Colors and Fabric Trends

Fidelio Velvet 70% Acetate and 30% Rayon Country of Origin: Baghdad

Faux Leather Polyester Made in India

Brown Mink Fashion Fur 70% Acrylic, 30% Polyester Made in China

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#8 Global Trending

In the UK, trends for A/W 2012/2013 seem to include very bold and basic colors.

Blazers, high waisted skirts, skinny pants, and patterns are popular in their styling as

well. In Hong Kong, they have a variety of colors on their palette, a lot of contrast and

draping, contrasting fabrics and colors, and prints. Lastly, Milan is trending several knits,

neutrals, geometric and floral patterns, and a boxy silhouette.

I assume the spring and summer collection will carry the high waist trends

through skirts and shorts. Blazers will probably continue to be popular but cropped

and short sleeve. Seeing as how floral patterns tend to be trending in many different

countries right now, I think that will carry over into the spring and summer collections

as well.

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#11 Designer Collections

Designer: Raine Hodgson Collection: Runway Collection Season: Spring/Summer 2011 I think this dress is incredibly interesting. I love the color, the draping, the sheer

fabrics, and the straps he used to make it look as if the model is being held back behind

bars. I’m not sure if it’s something I would wear mainly because I’m not exactly sure

where I would wear it to, but I think several designs could be made using this as

inspiration. I can see a dress like this being sold in a store like Saks or Nordstrom. I

could even see it being sold as a prom dress if a girl definitely wants to stand out from

the crowd.

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#12 Career Descriptions

A fashion designer has many responsibilities they must fulfill in order to be

successful in their career. It is important for them to stay on top of global fashion

trends and contemporary styles by doing research, attending fashion shows and

having a sharp eye for what’s popular on the streets. They must make sketches, some

of which may be similar to each other but will eventually lead to a final product. It is

important that they understand how to develop a good plan, supervise, and negotiate.

They should understand the design process, how fabrics drape or fold, and have time

and desire to select colors, fabrics, and embellishments.

A retail buyer has to be able to analyze customer buying patterns and be able

to predict trends that coming up. They must be capable of managing, negotiating,

recognizing change in demand and logistics, and keeping a good relationship with

suppliers. It’s important that buyers are able to attend trade fairs, participate in

promotional activities, and have good presentation skills.

A product development manager oversees trend and product line direction.

They are able to see to it that merchandise works well with each other. They should

have presentation, communication, and group skills. They need to be able to make

plans concerning fabrics, colors, prints, and styles.

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Entry #13 Fashion N0-Nos

Wearing sandals with socks? This is a definite fashion no-no. Even without socks those sandals are hideous. Someone please get this man some tennis shoes.

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There is way too much going on with this outfit. I get the concept trending term “mismatched” but she may have taken it to the extreme. It’s hard not to notice the clashing fabrics, an incredibly ruffled collar, gigantic mess of a necklace, and not to

mention whatever that is on her head. She looks almost as if she’s ready to perform psychic reading.

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There’s too much clashing going on with this outfit. First off, why is she wearing that green shirt underneath the dress? Whatever is in her hair does not work for her, and she should probably try a different pair of shoes. On a final note, her makeup looks

really scary; let’s erase that and try again.

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Sorry, but there is way too much floral repetition in this jumper. It looks like a garden threw up on her. The bell bottoms aren’t working as well as she might have liked them

too and her torso looks the same length as her legs. Yikes.

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#14 Career Opportunities

Costumes design would be a good fit for me because I enjoy analyzing

characters, finding inspiration, and being creative to design the costumes that I can see

characters wearing. It allows me to use a creative thought process and put out my

ideas.

Another good fit for me would be a personal shopper for similar reasons. I

enjoy getting know the person, figuring out what their personal style is and helping

them to find what they will enjoy wearing and feel comfortable in.

A retail buyer would be good for me because I’m organized, focused, have

good communication and presentation skills, have a good eye for what’s in style, and

love to travel (tradeshows).