March 20th, 2008

Donatella Versace "Startles" Herself in the Mirror:
We think we know why . . .

Man Sells Over $7 Million Worth of Bogus Gucci Stock:
"A Canadian man pleaded guilty to U.S. charges that he sold $7.3 million in bogus stock options in Gucci Group NV . . . Timothy Khan admitted Tuesday that he deceived an investor in 1995 when he claimed he was on a Gucci advisory board and offered to sell the options at a price discounted from the company's initial public offering . . . Khan said the unidentified investor paid him $7.3 million for options to buy shares in the IPO and other offerings." ***Damn, even the stocks are now fake . . .

Thieves Snatch Over $60,000 Dollars Worth of Anya Hindmarch Loot:
"ANYA HINDMARCH's new Bond Street store was broken into last night at around 11pm, thieves making off with £30,000 worth of the stylish designer bags from the label's spring/summer collection . . . So coveted are each of the new additions to the company's leather bags and accessories (including this season's Cooper bag that has already found its way on to Angelina Jolie's arm), that the Ledbury Road store was also targeted last year."

Photos of Jolie carrying Hindmarch's Cooper Tote created instant demand.

Louis Vuitton Wins Copyright/Trademark Lawsuits in China:
"Louis Vuitton has won a lawsuit against a Chinese hotel who leased space to a shop selling counterfeit products using the French luxury producer's logo, state media reported Tuesday . . . Separately, the French firm has also won another suit against a Chinese handbag producer in Beijing for copying its trademark design, according to sources at a court in the Chinese capital, Xinhua said. The handbag company obtained a Chinese patent in October 2003 for a handbag design, but Louis Vuitton said it was too similar to its trademark design and took the company to court in April 2007."

Katie Holmes Set to Release a Fashion Line Under the Armani Label:
"The actress is set to release her own clothing line with fashion powerhouse Giorgio Armani, aptly named Katie Holmes for Armani . . . her first collection will be aimed at the much smaller shoppers: toddlers. Using nearly two-year-old daughter Suri as inspiration, the chic line will be out as soon as Spring 2009 . . . From there, Holmes has a line for older children to hit stores in Fall 2009 and finally a line of women's clothes and handbags for Fall 2010." ***Victoria Beckham must be positively seething . . .

Former Chloe Designer May Take the Reins at Celine:
"Phoebe Philo, the former creative director of Chloe, may be about to return to the fashion the world after a semi sabbatical of three years as the designer of Paris label Celine . . . Fashion circles had been obsessed with the future plans of Philo since she dramatically quit her job at Chloe in 2005, in the most prominent example of designer burnout this century . . . The return of the highly acclaimed Philo would be a significant coup for Celine and for its owner, French luxury conglomerate LVMH . . . Despite intensive talks, both sides are understood to be significantly apart in terms, with Philo requesting a salary several times as large as Celine's current designer, Croatian-born Ivana Omazic."

For a look at the kind of creative, sophisticated buzz Phoebe Philo brought to Chloe, check out the video clip below: