Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Apple Music Reaches Deal With Beggars Group, Indie Labels

Apple Music Reaches Deal With Beggars Group, Indie Labels:

Beggars Group and other prominent independent record labels have worked past their Apple Music impasse and announced that they have signed licensing agreements with Apple after the streaming service revealed it would compensate artists during a three-month free trial. "Over the last few days we have had increasingly fruitful discussions with Apple," Beggars Group's Martin Mills said in a statement. "We are now delighted to say that we are happy to endorse the deal with Apple Music as it now stands, and look forward to being a big part of a very exciting future."

With Apple Music's relaunch now less than a week away, it was imperative for Apple to come to terms with the indies before the service arrived on June 30th. Taylor Swift served as an unexpected catalyst in reopening negotiations after the singer penned an open letter to Apple asking that the company compensate artists for the music that is streamed during users' introductory trial. Soon after Swift posted her letter, Apple's senior vice president Eddy Cue announced that Apple had changed its stance and would "strive to make sure artists are paid for their work" during the three-month free trial.

"We are naturally very concerned, especially for artists releasing new albums in the next three months, that all streaming on the new service will be unremunerated until the end of September," Beggars Group initially said on June 17th. In addition to Beggars Group – which operates 4AD, Matador and XL Recordings, the latter releasing Adele's smash 21 – indie labels like Tommy Boy and Secretly Group as well as the digital rights organization Merlin Network have also agreed to terms with Apple Music, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) announced in a statement.

"I am pleased to say that Apple has made a decision to pay for all usage of Apple Music under the free trials on a per-play basis, as well as to modify a number of other terms that members had been communicating directly with Apple about," WIN’s chief executive Alison Wenham said in a statement. "With these changes, we are happy to support and endorse the deal."

"This is really simple — if artists believe we're not paying, because we're not paying for it directly, and there was an indirect way we negotiated, and that doesn't work, then we wanted to fix it," Cue told Rolling Stone. "We wanted for it to be the right thing for the artists."

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:36 PM
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On the Charts: James Taylor Scores First Number One

On the Charts: James Taylor Scores First Number One:

Forty-seven years after his debut album, James Taylor has finally scored his first Number One record on the Billboard 200. The singer's latest, Before This World, sold 97,000 copies in its debut week, giving the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee his first ever chart-topping album. In addition to being Taylor's first collection of new music in 13 years, the surprise Number One was also aided by a vigorous promotional campaign by SiriusXM, who dedicated a channel to the singer and hosted a Town Hall with Taylor prior to Before This World's arrival.

Taylor had previously flirted with the Top Ten with nearly a dozen of his LPs, most notably 1970's Sweet Baby James (Number Three) and, more recently, 2002's October Road and 2008's Covers (both reached Number Four). However, Before This World hitting the top spot marks the second-longest wait between a Billboard 200 debut and a chart-topping album, Billboard reports. Only Tony Bennett, who waited 54 years – from 1957's Tony to the Number One album Duets II in 2011 – experienced a longer Number One holdout than Taylor. (Billboard doesn't acknowledge Taylor's 1968 self-titled debut in the equation since it never charted.)

According to Billboard, with his newly minted Number One, Taylor also exits an exclusive, but unfortunate, club of artists who have over 10 Top Ten albums yet never netted a Number One. The "Never Number One" crew includes Sting, the Who and Rush, who waited nearly as long for a Rolling Stone cover as Taylor waited for a chart-topping LP.

It was a Taylor-Taylor one-two punch on the charts as, despite briefly declaring war against Apple, Taylor Swift's 1989 once again finished the week at Number Two on the strength of her "Bad Blood" single and reluctance to stream her smash album. Former American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert's The Original High debuted at Number Three while Ed Sheeran's X was bumped back into the Top Five at Number Four. Hilary Duff's Breathe In. Breathe Out., the pop singer's first album in eight years, entered at Number Five with 39,000 total albums sold.

Last week's Number One, Muse's Drones, dropped out of the Top Ten.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:36 PM
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Early Television, Richard Hell Songs to Feature on New Box Set

Early Television, Richard Hell Songs to Feature on New Box Set:

A new box set will collect the entire "known" output of early punk label Ork Records put out in the mid-Seventies, including songs by Television, ex-Television guitarist Richard Hell, Big Star and Box Tops frontman Alex Chilton, Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome and critic and former Rolling Stone contributor Lester Bangs, among others. The two-CD and four-LP set, Ork Records: New York, New York comes on the heels of the vinyl-only Ork: Box, which came out in a limited edition on Record Store Day.

The release, which will come out on October 30th via Numero Group, also comes with a 120-page book containing photos and stories about the label, which Television's manager, Terry Ork, founded in order to put out their debut seven-inch, "Little Johnny Jewel."

The imprint put out new music from punk and rock & roll bands between 1975 and 1979. Both the vinyl and CD editions of Ork Records: New York, New York will also be available in a version that includes a bonus 45 containing two previously unreleased tracks by the Feelies, "A Boy Next Door" backed with a cover of Burt Bacharach's "My Little Red Book." That edition will be limited to a pressing of 2,000.

The previously released Ork: Box contained 16 seven-inches including "Little Johnny Jewel," Television guitarist Richard Lloyd's "Get Off My Cloud," Chilton's "Singer Not the Song" and Chrome's "Still Wanna Die." The new box set contains 49 songs total, including the ones from the previous box set. A trailer for the new box set is viewable here.

Ork Records: New York, New York Track List:

1. Television - "Little Johnny Jewel"
2. Feelies - "Fa Ce La"
3. Richard Hell - "(I Belong to the) Blank Generation"
4. The Revelons - "The Way (You Tough My Hand)"
5. Erasers - "I Won't Give Up"
6. Alex Chilton - "All of the Time"
7. Chris Stamey and the dBs - "(I Thought) You Wanted to Know"
8. Prix - "Zero"
9. Marbles - "Red Lights"
10. Alex Chilton - "Take Me Home & Make Me Like It"
11. Prix - "Girl"
12. The Idols - "Girl That I Love"
13. Mick Farren and the New Wave - "Lost Johnny"
14. Cheetah Chrome - "Still Wanna Die"
15. The Idols - "You"
16. The Student Teachers - "Christmas Weather"
17. Erasers - "It Was So Funny (The Song That They Sung)"
18. Richard Hell - "(I Could Live With You) (In) Another World"
19. Chris Stamey - "The Summer Sun"
20. Alex Chilton - "Free Again"
21. Richard Lloyd - "(I Thought) You Wanted to Know"
22. The Student Teachers - "Channel 13"
23. Chris Stamey - "Where the Fun Is"
24. Prix - "Everytime I Close My Eyes"
25. Feelies - "Forces at Work"
26. Marbles - "Fire and Smoke"
27. The Revelons - "97 Tears"
28. Cheetah Chrome - "Take Me Home"
29. Richard Hell - "You Gotta Lose"
30. Chris Stamey and the dBs - "If and When"
31. Mick Farren and the New Wave - "Play With Fire"
32. Richard Lloyd - "Get Off My Cloud"
33. Alex Chilton - "The Singer Not the Song"
34. Richard Lloyd - "Connection"
35. Alex Chilton - "Summertime Blues"
36. Mick Farren and the New Wave - "To Know Him Is to Love Him"
37. Link Cromwell - "Crazy Like a Fox"
38. Link Cromwell - "Shock Me"
39. Kenneth Higney - "I Wanna Be the King"
40. Lester Bangs - "Let It Blurt"
41. Alex Chilton - "Bangkok"
42. Peter Holsapple - "Big Black Truck"
43. Prix - "She Might Look My Way"
44. Alex Chilton - "Can't Seem to Make You Mine"
45. Prix "Love You All Day Long"
46. Alex Chilton - "Shakin' The World"
47. Prix - "Love You Tonight"
48. Lester Bangs - "Live"
49. Kenneth Higney - "Funky Kinky"

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:35 PM
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Fetty Wap Goes Hard on New Song 'Boomin''

Fetty Wap Goes Hard on New Song 'Boomin'':

Fetty Wap's sleeper hit "Trap Queen" has become the top contender for this year's Song of the Summer, but it sounds like the New Jersey rapper is wasting no time in churning out a new hit for himself with his latest track, "Boomin.'"

Harder than the island-y feel of "Trap Queen" and "My Way," "Boomin'" sounds closer to the Chicago drill scene. The track has Wap straying from the sing-rapping that has made his unexpected hit so unique.

Though "Trap Queen" was released in early 2014, it took until last fall for the song to start receiving more widespread attention. In February, Kanye West brought him out onstage to perform the single at the first annual Roc City Classic show in NYC. The next month, Wap gave a notable performance at South by Southwest and made his subsequent television debut at the MTV Movie Awards when he joined Fall Out Boy onstage in April.

West and Fall Out Boy aren't the only famous fans of the emerging rapper; Rihanna was an early supporter of him while Drake and Azealia Banks have hopped on remixes of "My Way" and "Trap Queen," respectively. Earlier this month, Ed Sheeran produced an earnest, acoustic version of "Trap Queen" with the Roots for The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon's YouTube.

Though Wap's SoundCloud output has been prolific, he has yet to release his debut EP or album. He is currently signed to 300 Entertainment alongside Migos and Young Thug.

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:35 PM
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Steve Wariner Records With Thrash-Metal Pioneers Megadeth

Steve Wariner Records With Thrash-Metal Pioneers Megadeth:

One of country music's most versatile musicians is living up to his reputation: Steve Wariner recently joined heavy-metal titans Megadeth in the studio to play steel guitar on the group's upcoming album.

In a recent interview with the Tennessean, Wariner, a blistering guitarist who has scored Number One hits with songs like "All Roads Lead to You" and "Small Town Girl," said he and Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine first crossed paths in the recording studio.

Related: 50 Rock Albums Every Country Fan Should Own

"Imagine Megadeth with steel guitar. That's what I did, and Dave Mustaine is the nicest guy in the world. Isn't that crazy? It's out of my world," Wariner told the Tennessean. "I'm a traditional country guy. But the stuff I played on is awesome."

Mustaine has even attended one of Wariner's shows. But it's not the first time that the former guitarist for Metallica, who went on to establish Megadeth as one of the Big Four of thrash-metal, has worked in the country music community. The band's 1997 album Cryptic Writings and 1999's Risk were both recorded in Nashville, with producer Dann Huff (Faith Hill, Keith Urban) co-producing. Megadeth was also one of the invited artists to perform at the tribute concert to George Jones in 2013, playing an unconventional "Wild Irish Rose" — the band is included in the massive group photo from that evening that covers an entire wall in the new George Jones Museum in downtown Nashville.

Wariner, who released the album It Ain't All Bad in 2013, is set to play City Winery Nashville tonight. And while a surprise thrash-country set from Megadeth is unlikely, it's feasible that Mustaine could drop by. He recently told Rolling Stone that he and his family relocated to Nashville for a fourth time, joining an army of rockers, from Mötley Crüe's Mick Mars to Cinderella's Tom Keifer, who now call Music City home.

"The people are wonderful here. There's certain things I miss about California. . . and certain people I don't," Mustaine says. "But it's funny. I was driving to the studio the other day and I was kind of speeding and I see this sheriff. And I'm like, 'Oh god, I'm busted.' So I do a quick pull-in to the place where I'm going to eat breakfast, I sit down at a table and I start looking out the window. I see the sheriff make a U-turn and pass the restaurant real slow, and then he pulls into the parking lot. He walks in, comes right up to me and I'm thinking, OK, I'm nailed. I start to reach for my wallet. But then he goes, 'I just want to tell you I'm a big fan. We all knew you were moving here and we're so excited to have you here. Welcome.' I was like, 'Get the fuck out!'"

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Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:34 PM
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9 Standout Trends from the Resort 2016 Collections

9 Standout Trends from the Resort 2016 Collections:

From left to right: Suno, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, MM6 Maison Margiela and Michael Kors. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Suno, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, MM6 Maison Margiela and Michael Kors. Photos: Courtesy
For many designers and retailers, the off-season collections are the most important. While resort and pre-fall don't get anywhere near the same media attention as their fall/winter and spring/summer counterparts — largely because they don't have dedicated fashion weeks — they stay on the shelves the longest, drawing the lion's share of some stores's annual budgets. It's little wonder that some of fashion's biggest brands are also dedicating the bulk of their show budgets to resort and pre-fall with opulent destination shows.

Over the past seven weeks, designers in New York, London, Paris and Milan took the wraps off their resort 2016 collections, which will hit stores in November — a time when shoppers are looking for holiday clothes and, a little later on, a new look for the new year. Resort is not often a season for new trends: While the collections generally exude a holiday vibe, they also tend to be slightly more subdued and simpler than their fall and spring counterparts, with fewer theatrics, though no less craft.

These are the trends to watch for.

Baby Got Back

From left to right: Diesel Black Gold, Tome, Narciso Rodriguez, Tibi and Public School. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Diesel Black Gold, Tome, Narciso Rodriguez, Tibi and Public School. Photos: Courtesy
Aesthetically speaking, the back of a garment is often overlooked. But not this season. Cape backs abound on dresses, jackets, blouses, even parkas.


Bell Curve

From left to right: Zac Posen, Thakoon, Suno, Calvin Klein and Stella McCartney. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Zac Posen, Thakoon, Suno, Calvin Klein and Stella McCartney. Photos: Courtesy
The bell shape harkens all the way back to the fluid silhouettes of the '20s and '30s, though there's nothing retro about how designers like Calvin Klein, Thakoon or Suno are utilizing it this season. They're keeping it slim with body-hugging tunics and skirts flared flirtatiously at the hem.

Black and White

From left to right: Sachin + Babi, Giulietta, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and Mugler. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Sachin + Babi, Giulietta, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and Mugler. Photos: Courtesy
For many designers, resort is a time to get back to basics. Several collections this season featured black-and-white palettes almost exclusively.

Smart Bomb

From left to right: Gucci, Stella McCartney, Sonia Rykiel, Chloe, and Jonathan Saunders From left to right: Gucci, Stella McCartney, Sonia Rykiel, Chloe, and Jonathan Saunders
Adding a bomber jacket to any outfit ups the "cool" factor almost immediately, but why not take it a little further? Whether through lace, knits or embroidered, these jackets are bound to turn a few heads.

Two-Toned Coats

From left to right: Boss, Lisa Perry, Rochas, Vionnet and Bottega Veneta. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Boss, Lisa Perry, Rochas, Vionnet and Bottega Veneta. Photos: Courtesy
A subtle nod to color-blocking, two-toned coats won't be hard to come by this November.

Embroidered Flowers

From left to right: Suno, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Zac Posen, Erdem and Jonathan Saunders. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Suno, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Zac Posen, Erdem and Jonathan Saunders. Photos: Courtesy
It's hard to imagine resort without flowers, and don't worry, they were everywhere. Our favorite renditions were embroidered selectively on garments and with lots of color.

Sour Kraut

From left to right: MM6 Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton, Tomas Maier, Alexander Wang and Costume National. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: MM6 Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton, Tomas Maier, Alexander Wang and Costume National. Photos: Courtesy
Something distinctly experimental, minimal and German-influenced came to mind when looking at collections from MM6, Alexander Wang and Costume National. This girl looks like she listens to a lot of krautrock, and probably attended art school in the '80s. Whoever she is, we don't want to mess with her. But we do want to dress like her.

The Leather Dress

From left to right: Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Edun, Novis and Zac Zac Posen. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Edun, Novis and Zac Zac Posen. Photos: Courtesy
Once again, leather dresses will be everywhere come November. And we promise that dressing in head-to-toe in leather will look as cool as it sounds.

Mod

From left to right: Just Cavalli, Lanvin, Lisa Perry, Organic by John Patrick and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel. Photos: Courtesy From left to right: Just Cavalli, Lanvin, Lisa Perry, Organic by John Patrick and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel. Photos: Courtesy
An off-shoot of the ever-popular white polo necks of fall 2015, it's inevitable that the mid-season collections, known for being a bit more conservative and dressed down, run with it right into the '60s. There's something to be said for a little simplicity.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:33 PM
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Matthew Williamson to Sell Part of Pre-Fall Collection Exclusively on Lyst

Matthew Williamson to Sell Part of Pre-Fall Collection Exclusively on Lyst:

A look from Matthew Williamson's collection on Lyst. Photo: Lyst A look from Matthew Williamson's collection on Lyst. Photo: Lyst
Mary Katrantzou is no longer the only print-happy British designer to agree to sell a range of clothing exclusively on Lyst. On Monday afternoon, a selection of Matthew Williamson's pre-fall collection will go live on the shopping aggregation site, which doesn't hold inventory of its own but acts as a product directory for hundreds of shopping destinations around the web.

Inking retail exclusives has been a focus for the startup since February 2014, when it became the sole site to carry 10 looks from Katrantzou's resort 2015 collection. At the time, Lyst CEO Chris Morton wasn't sure how frequently the team would take on similar partnerships, but since then it's played host to, among others, a range from MZ Wallace, and a collaboration between Suno and the boutique Hampden Clothing.

While working with well-known designers in an exclusive capacity provides Lyst something unique to offer customers — and therefore gives it an edge on its competitors — this partnership is a strategic one on Williamson's side, too. In April, the British designer announced that he would be shuttering his London flagship and doubling down on e-commerce, keeping a showroom open for online customers to visit by appointment. It seems sensible to usher in this new era of his business by hooking up with a Groupe Arnault-backed tech startup.

Check out the full Moroccan-inspired collection, below.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:32 PM
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'Cupcakes and Cashmere' to Launch Fashion Line, Kim Kardashian's Makeup Artist Draws Fire

Must Read: 'Cupcakes and Cashmere' to Launch Fashion Line, Kim Kardashian's Makeup Artist Draws Fire:



And Rag & Bone is opening a second store in London as it hones in on international growth.




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Kim Kardashian's makeup artist under fire for posting photo of a child wearing makeup

Is it appropriate to apply makeup on young girls? The debate reared its ugly head on the Instagram account of makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic (the man partly responsible for Kardashian's highly contoured look) after he posted a photo of a girl in winged eyeliner and plum-colored lipstick on Monday. At the time of writing, the post had attracted more than 12,600 likes and 557 comments, substantially more than any other recent post of his. {Instagram}



Alexander McQueen plans to become a €500 million business

By expanding its retail presence, particularly in Asia, as well as its leather goods category, Alexander McQueen is aiming to double its business in three to four years, parent company Kering revealed on a field trip with investors on June 19. Even if it does grow its store fleet to 90 in the next three to four years, the business won't be large enough to have a significant impact on Kering's bottom line, however. {WWD}



Martha Stewart Living finds a new home

Sequential Brands Group, which has a controlling stake in Jessica Simpson's billion-dollar eponymous label as well as Justin Timberlake's William Rast clothing brand, has agreed to buy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in a deal that values the media giant at $353 million. About half of Martha Stewart Living's revenue comes from its publishing operations; it also sells home products via Home Depot and Macy's. Stewart herself will remain a significant stakeholder in the combined company. {Reuters}



Soon, "Cupcakes and Cashmere" can hang in your closet

Emily Schuman can add "designer" to her growing résumé. The Cupcakes and Cashmere blogger is preparing to launch her own line of mix-and-match separates, including a striped tee and white lace skirt, priced between $80 and $180. The California-inspired debut collection launches July 6 at Nordstrom and Shopbop. {Cupcakes and Cashmere}



Rag & Bone seeks growth abroad

Rag & Bone has global expansion on the brain, and it's hired a host of executives to make it happen. Johanna Murphy has joined the company as its first global chief marketing officer from Ivanka Trump, where she held the same title. Tim Briggs, formerly of Burberry, has signed on as vice president of merchandising, and Helen Costello has joined the as managing director of international from Bottega Veneta. Rag & Bone currently operates 20 retail stores in the U.S., but apart from one company-operated store in London and a handful of franchise stores, it has done little on the international front. The company is now looking for a second location in London, and at ideas for the Middle East and the rest of Europe. {WWD}



Colette x Casetify partner on Apple Watch band

Prepare for the rise of custom Apple Watch bands. Chic French concept store Colette and tech accessory maker Casetify collaborated on a striped Watch band, rendered in Colette's signature navy and white on sweat-resistant polycarbonate silicone. The limited-edition band is available for purchase at Colette in Paris and online. {Casetify}



Jeremy Scott and Moschino are a match made in fashion heaven

With his flashy, tongue-in-cheek designs and host of celebrity ambassadors, Jeremy Scott has put Moschino back on the map in less than two years. The Los Angeles-based designer, who cast pop star and personal friend Katy Perry in the Italian brand's fall campaign, has increased sales tenfold since he was hired in October 2013. Michelle Stein, president of Moschino's parent company, Aeffe U.S.A., said to The New York Times: "He was the ideal choice in retrospect, since he possessed many of the characteristics that Franco possessed." The numbers speak for themselves. {The New York Times}



Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are having a boy

Prince George won't be the next generation's only male trendsetter. On Father’s Day, Kim Kardashian announced via Instagram that she and husband Kanye West are expecting a son. The news comes less than a month after she announced her pregnancy on an episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." {Us Magazine}



FIT lays out ambitious five-year plan

After 70 years in operation, the Fashion Institute of Technology is in need of a makeover. Dr. Joyce Brown, president of FIT, outlined a strategic five-year plan, which will see the introduction of a new building, an innovation center, a revamped curriculum and tighter relationships with fashion companies. The plan is made possible from a $74 million grant from City Hall. {WWD}
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:31 PM
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Dov Charney Hits American Apparel With $30 Million-Plus Defamation Lawsuit

Dov Charney Hits American Apparel With $30 Million-Plus Defamation Lawsuit:

An American Apparel store. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images An American Apparel store. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Almost exactly a year ago, American Apparel founder Dov Charney was suspended from his roles as president and CEO of the company and replaced as chairman of the board on allegations of misconduct. He was officially terminated in December, and hasn't stopped trying to regain control of the company since, lodging a number of lawsuits against the brand and its executives.

The latest complaint, filed Friday, deals with the events of late June last year, when Charney was first pushed out of the company. This time around he's suing American Apparel and David Danziger, who resigned from the board of directors last week, for defamation and intentional interference with actual and prospective economic relations, among other issues.

The play by play goes like this, according to the suit: In time for the annual shareholder meeting on June 18, 2014, a number of board members pressured Charney to vote to re-elect Danziger, Robert Greene and Allan Mayer to the board, all while voicing their continued support for Charney as CEO. After Charney did vote them in — without his votes, the complaint says, they wouldn't have been able to get re-elected — Mayer informed him that he was being stripped of his employment.

So Charney turned to the second largest shareholder, Johannes Roth of FiveT Capital, to help him pass a vote to increase the size of the board from 9 to 13, which would enable him to take control of it again. When he learned about this, Danziger contacted Roth directly "and told him, with full knowledge that his statements were false, that Charney was being investigated for matters 'criminal in nature.'" Roth withdrew his support.

Friday's lawsuit claims that American Apparel has caused "severe, irreparable harm to Charney's personal and professional reputation" and has and will caused others from wanting to do business with him. He's seeking at least $30 million in damages.

Reached by email for comment, an American Apparel spokesperson said this of the lawsuit: "Friday’s complaint is yet another example of the habitual nuisance lawsuits that Dov Charney and his lawyer continue to file, and which we continue to defeat (as has been reflected by the recent rulings and stipulations in our favor)."

While the legal battles rages on with no end in sight, American Apparel's relationship with consumers isn't so hot, either. Sales fell 9 percent in the first quarter of the year, with losses coming in at $26 million. The company's stock price hit its lowest point of the year this month.

Update: Charney's wasn't the only filing on Friday. According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, American Apparel also filed court documents with the Los Angeles Superior Court making a number of allegations about Charney's behavior, including that he made racially degrading comments to accounting employees and that he stored footage of himself having sex with models and employees on company computers. Charney's lawyer denies that the allegations, which were a response to a previous defamation suit the ousted founder filed against American Apparel and chairwoman Colleen Brown, are true.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:29 PM
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Prada's Resort 2016 Girl Is Quirky and Rumpled

Prada's Resort 2016 Girl Is Quirky and Rumpled:

A look from Prada (not Coach)'s resort 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree A look from Prada (not Coach)'s resort 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
For the past several seasons, Miuccia Prada has used men's fashion week in Milan to voice her belief that men's and women's fashion need not be shown separately. "It is more today. Otherwise it looks like we are in classes, in the time of my grandfather, women divided from men," she told The Telegraph last year. Once again, Prada peppered her men's spring 2016 show on Sunday with looks from her women's resort 2016 collection.

It's a natural combination. Why force buyers and editors to view these collections separately when they're typically presented around the same time?

While the womenswear was pretty feminine — think '60s-inspired skirts, sweaters and knee socks with quirky cars, rockets and bunnies printed onto them — there was a non-precious feel to the styling that complimented the men's looks. Cardigans hung haphazardly over partly-buttoned shirts, and rumpled sweaters were tucked into print-blocked skirts. There were also pairs of scrunched up socks worn on top of one another.

For both men and women, there was an emphasis on sweaters. One in particular (pictured above) reminded me a lot of Coach's now-ubiquitous Apollo sweater. Prada's has a similar commercial appeal. Hopefully they can help boost the company's dismal profits.

The ultra short-shorts for men, however, may be a harder sell. Browse the full collection below.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:28 PM
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Emilia Clarke Chicly Hobbles Her Way Through 'Terminator' Press Tour

Emilia Clarke Chicly Hobbles Her Way Through 'Terminator' Press Tour:

Emilia Clarke in Balenciaga at the European premiere of "Terminator: Genisys." Photo: Franziska Krug/Getty Images Emilia Clarke in Balenciaga at the European premiere of "Terminator: Genisys." Photo: Franziska Krug/Getty Images
I don't really watch "Game of Thrones," but I feel like Emilia Clarke must be channeling whatever superhuman, dragon-mothering strength she displays on that show for her "Terminator Genisys" press tour.

For unconfirmed reasons, Clarke has needed crutches at every appearance. Despite the challenge, she's handled her injury with incredible grace and flawless style. While I would likely not leave my home if doing so required crutches, since Thursday Clarke has traveled to multiple countries, sat through several rounds of hair and makeup, donned half a dozen fancy dresses and vertiginous pairs of heels, and put her crutches aside to pose for thousands of photos.

From last week's darling fall 2015 Dolce & Gabbana dress, to the Calvin Klein and Balenciaga frocks she wore this weekend, Clarke has appeared comfortable and confident at every turn. Were it not for shameless paparazzi, we probably wouldn't know she'd been hurt.

She also just debuted a new lob, which I will probably be showing to my hairdresser when I finally get around to scheduling a much-needed cut. So good, right?

See all of her recent press tour looks below.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:27 PM
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Mario Testino Gives Burberry a Striking New Look for Fall

Mario Testino Gives Burberry a Striking New Look for Fall:

Burberry's fall ad campaign. Photo: Mario Testino/Burberry Burberry's fall ad campaign. Photo: Mario Testino/Burberry
When you think of Burberry's ad campaigns, you think of... what? Cool, young Brits — a mix of models, actors and musicians — slouching against each other, hair in their eyes, usually wearing trench coats and looking unrepentantly young and cool. In recent years, the texture of the photos has gotten smoother and smoother, taking on a pearlescent look: glowing, but matte. Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell's recent ads for the house might best exemplify that style.

Burberry's consistency in its imagery has made its ads some of the easiest to pick out as you flip through a magazine, which is why we were pretty surprised at the look of its newest campaign, for fall. Shot by Mario Testino, a longtime collaborator with the house, the ads have all the typical motifs: young beautiful people, shiny hair, etc. But that flash! Not to make too big a deal out of it, but the lighting alone renders the photos... almost unrecognizable?

Unrecognizable relative to Burberry's most recent campaigns, anyways. It's not at all dissimilar to the black-and-white series Testino shot for fall 2005, featuring Kate Moss, Gemma Ward and Hugh Dancy darting about London, the camera flash throwing their features into high relief.

So new is only as new as recent memory. It's nice to see Burberry breaking things up, though. Check out the rest of the campaign images, below.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:27 PM
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Gigi and Bella Hadid Share a Cover for the First Time on 'V'

Gigi and Bella Hadid Share a Cover for the First Time on 'V':

Photo: Steven Klein/V Photo: Steven Klein/V
Kendall and Kylie who?

V magazine released the cover of its fall preview 2015 issue on Tuesday, featuring "supermodel sisters" Gigi and Bella Hadid together on a magazine cover for the first time. Photographed by Steven Klein and styled by Patti Wilson, the sisters appear in black and white lingerie and fur with two matching sets of endless legs. Genetics, man.

Gigi first teased the shoot last week with different version of one of the inside editorial images, in which she and her sister are seductively lying on fur coats next to a chain-link fence, in lingerie. It's all a bit risqué, especially considering Gigi is 20 and Bella is only 18, but it's still a major coup for these two models of the moment.

The issue will be on newsstands June 30.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:24 PM
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Lily James Has a Genius Approach to Covered-Up Summer Dressing

Lily James Has a Genius Approach to Covered-Up Summer Dressing:

Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images
I can't wait for summer to be over, so that I can stop taking up space on this website to whine about how I don't know how to dress in the heat. It was about 90 degrees and two thousand percent humid yesterday, and I wore a sweatshirt. Wtf.

Although I can't seem to save myself from four months of misery, I can identify people who do have the mental capacity to style themselves out of heatstroke. Lily James is apparently one of them. Here she is at the Vogue & Ralph Lauren Wimbledon party on Monday, looking fresh as hell in a tea-length Ralph Lauren shirtdress and gold sandals.

My personal Summertime Sadness arises from the fact that I don't like shorts, short skirts or my arms, particularly. Hence, I wear pretty much the same thing I do at other times of the year and just smell worse for it. (Ha ha... kidding!) But LJ has all that figured out. A lightweight fabric and loosely streamlined cut means you can wear, say, a long-sleeved dress, and stay cool. So obvious. So brilliant.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:23 PM
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Eponymous Label, LaQuan Smith Is Hiring A Sales Representative In NYC

Eponymous Label, LaQuan Smith Is Hiring A Sales Representative In NYC:

Image provided by LaQuan Smith Image provided by LaQuan Smith
LaQuan Smith is seeking a Sales Representative. The Sales Representative will drive sales by strengthening relationships with existing accounts and opening new accounts. They will present products, write purchase orders, create sales budgets/forecasts, liaison with accounts on PR and marketing campaigns and provide competitor intelligence. A well-qualified candidate will have fashion selling experience in wholesale apparel specific to specialty stores/boutiques.

Responsibilities:

  • Drive sales with existing accounts while opening new accounts and broadening awareness in the market
  • Present Products to customers, process orders and ensure orders meet delivery deadlines
  • Create sales budgets by account, review results monthly, provide updated forecasts throughout the year while meeting or exceeding sales goals
  • Build strong relationships with customers as well as internal departments and keep customers abreast of PR and marketing initiatives
  • Ensure sell in and sell through meet company expectations as well as profitability of accounts in consideration of terms, discounts, marketing contributions and order cancellations
Knowledge & Skills:

  • 3 – 5 years experience specific to wholesale selling women’s apparel
  • Knowledge of the luxury/specialty store landscape through prior selling experience
  • Strong communication, organizational, presentation and merchandising skills
  • Computer literate including MS Office. Ability to learn new software.
  • Knowledge in retail math
  • Please email your cover letter and resume together with salary expectations and availability.To apply, please send your resume to  Jacqueline Cooper   at jcooper@laquansmith.com.
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:21 PM
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Alexa Chung Talks Kanye West and Festival Dressing at Longchamp Dinner

Alexa Chung Talks Kanye West and Festival Dressing at Longchamp Dinner:

Alexa Chung showing off a new clutch at the Longchamp dinner Tuesday night. Photo: Longchamp Alexa Chung showing off a new clutch at the Longchamp dinner Tuesday night. Photo: Longchamp
On Tuesday night, Alexa Chung gathered friends, industry members and press for an intimate dinner in the Meatpacking District to celebrate her latest campaign for Longchamp. The British spokesmodel and author hosted at one end of a long, impeccably dressed table; drummer and fellow Brit Tennessee Thomas held court at the second. "Like a wedding," Chung joked to guests, which included Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain and Creative Director Sophie Delafontaine, plus Atlanta de Cadenet, Mia Moretti and Derek Blasberg.

A few images of Chung's fall 2015 ads for the French luxury house — her fourth with the brand — strategically trickled out on social media Tuesday. Instead of lounging on the beaches of St. Tropez, Chung posed on the bright, arty streets of Wynwood in Miami for photographer Max Vadukul.

"It was so fun, but we shot [the campaign] a few months ago," Chung told me during cocktail hour. "It was boiling hot and we were doing the full collection, which was like a mohair roll neck and leather pants and leather jacket. I think Sophie [Delafontaine] chose it to really test my dedication to Longchamp," she teased.

"We've used the same team of people for four seasons now, so I love them all and everyone’s really funny and in between we’re all dancing and being stupid," she added. "But it was quite hard work — if modeling can be hard work."

Chung mentioned she was planning to catch a red-eye flight later that evening to get to the Glastonbury music festival, just in time for Kanye West's divisive Saturday night set. "[The petition to ban Kanye from Glastonbury] didn’t work, did it?" she said. "I’m a big fan. I think he’s fantastic. The world needs characters like that, you know. Love him or hate him, he’s definitely pushing boundaries. I respect that he’s so outspoken and he also blurs the lines in between so many careers and perceptions, definitely. Everyone wants you to be in a box, but he’s like, 'No, I’m not fucking getting in the box, sorry.'"

The conversation moved to the commodification of festival style. "It’s slightly embarrassing," she said. "Because, first and foremost, you just have to be comfortable and weather-appropriate. So I think it’s a bit naff, some of the iterations on that theme, and how it has become its own style. But, then again, it's a moment where you can really have fun with whatever you’re wearing, so I see the attraction. Coachella, for me, it's become a bit homogenized — and I enjoy going there, I've been going there for 10 years — but the last time I went there, all I wanted to do was wear a suit as soon as I left. I mean, I was wearing what everyone else was wearing but, like, fucking hell, if I see one more flower crown."

So we know one thing Chung won't be wearing at Glasto. The Brit has kept quite busy the past two years: releasing a 21-piece denim collection with AG Jeans and enjoying the success of her first book, It, to name a couple highlights. So what's next for to check off on her list of life goals?

"I’m going to do more TV things," she said. "I really love interviewing people and writing and doing stuff like that, so that’s what I’m doing this summer and then after that, I don’t know."

Perhaps a reboot of MTV's canceled-too-soon "It's on With Alexa Chung"?

"I can’t talk about it," Chung said with a smile. "It’s like two TV things I’m doing." So stay tuned (pun intended).

Alexa Chung the Longchamp dinner. Photo: courtesy Longchamp Alexa Chung the Longchamp dinner. Photo: courtesy Longchamp
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:21 PM
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Crocs Put on a Fashion Show

Crocs Put on a Fashion Show:

The finale of the Crocs "Funway Runway" fashion show. Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Crocs The finale of the Crocs "Funway Runway" fashion show. Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Crocs
An afternoon of thunderstorms and hail threatened to cancel Crocs's first-ever "fashion show" on Tuesday evening, held on the rooftop of the Holiday Inn in midtown Manhattan.

But by the time the first model walked down the runway — I mean, "funway" — in Crocs sandals and an elaborate parrot costume over a bikini, the sky had cleared up and the wind had died down completely. A diminished crowd was armed with ponchos in case the weather turned.

Actress Bella Thorne was a VIP guest at the Crocs Funway Runway fashion show. Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Crocs Actress Bella Thorne was a VIP guest at the Crocs Funway Runway fashion show. Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Crocs
"Crocs is all about the fun of being a little bit different," said Katy Michael, VP of global communications at the company. "So we can't do anything normal, everything has to have a Crocs twist to it."

The funway show was certainly not normal. The models dance-walked the perimeter of the pool dressed in kitschy costumes, including a cowboy, Mexican wrestler, superhero, astronaut and daisy. Then the Aqualillies, a professional synchronized swimming and dance company, performed an elaborate (and unexpectedly revealing) routine inside the pool. All while wearing Crocs sandals, of course.

The Aqualillies perform at the Crocs Funway Runway fashion show. Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Crocs The Aqualillies perform at the Crocs Funway Runway fashion show. Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Crocs
"This is a first time for us," said Michael. While the live audience was smallish, Crocs partnered with Twitter to promote a video version of the funway, called #FindYourFun. An online app allows Crocs fans around the world to choose a model, costume, shoe style and soundtrack to make their own 30-second video that the company is hoping shoppers will share across social media.

Crocs is hoping that the bold and colorful campaign is the beginning of a new chapter for the 12-year-old, Boulder-based company. After sluggish sales results, Crocs announced plans to lay off 183 employees and to close or convert 75 to 100 Crocs stores worldwide last July. A new senior vice president of global merchandising, Michelle Poole, was hired in August and a new CEO, Gregg Ribatt, joined in January. The brand is available in 90 countries and sold 56 million pairs of shoes last year, 27 million of which were its iconic clogs.

Those clogs just got a sales boost courtesy of Prince George, who was spotted wearing a blue pair at a charity polo match earlier this month. "It's the gift that keeps on giving," said Michael about young Prince's stylish influence. "Our EU business has really benefitted from the Prince wearing the shoes."

See more snaps from the Funway Runway below.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:20 PM
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Rihanna Files Trademark for '$chool Kills' Fashion Label, But Where Did She Get the Name?

Rihanna Files Trademark for '$chool Kills' Fashion Label, But Where Did She Get the Name?: Just a few days before her company filed the trademark, she was seen wearing a "School Kills" t-shirt by young Korean designer Hyein Seo. Hmm.

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Original enclosures:



She may be the face of Dior, but Rihanna has also been known to wear clothes from younger, more streetwear-oriented designers, like Korean-born Hyein Seo, a recent graduate of the prestigious Antwerp Royal Academy, whose wares are already sold in stores including Vfiles in New York, Boon the Shop in Seoul and KM20 in Moscow. Rihanna has worn Hyein Seo to Paris Fashion Week, the MTV Movie Awards and on her tour with Eminem. Most recently, on May 3, she wore the above T-shirt from the designer's graduate collection, titled "Bad Education."

Eight days after she wore that shirt, Rihanna's company Roraj Trade, LLC filed the trademark "$CHOOL KILLS" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for various clothing and accessories categories, from satchels to t-shirts to socks. An anonymous source told Grazia, who first reported news of the filing, that "$CHOOL KIlls will be an accessories range covering everything from tote bags to purses, and later on, fashion."

While we're pleased to hear Rihanna may be getting back into the design game — she dipped her toes in via a collaboration with River Island from 2011 to 2013 — this is a little fishy. Although School Kills is not the name of Seo's brand, the phrase, emblazoned on t-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets, has become associated with her, perhaps more than anything else she's designed thus far. And when you're a young brand with limited resources, that kind of organic recognizability and buzz is crucial. Were Rihanna, who is obviously much more famous than Seo, to claim that as her own, well... that would be sad.

And it would be particularly unfortunate for Seo, who was also maybe ripped off by designer Phillip Plein recently. Let's just hope Seo and Rihanna are working together.

We reached out to Seo for comment but have not yet heard back.
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:19 PM
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Kiernan Shipka Shows Us There's More to Summer Than White Dresses

Kiernan Shipka Shows Us There's More to Summer Than White Dresses:

She probably doesn't even sweat. Like, ever. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images She probably doesn't even sweat. Like, ever. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
In my fantasy future for Sally Draper, the character Kiernan Shipka played on "Mad Men" until the show wrapped forever last month, she goes to interesting parties and always looks like the coolest girl in the room. Which pretty much describes Shipka's life currently.

At a party hosted by Coach and Friends of the High Line on Tuesday evening, the 15-year-old went for a tougher look than we usually see her in — a black and gray dress and black chunky sandals with a patterned black bandana around her neck. Even though the styling is straight from the Coach fall 2015 runway, her sunny demeanor gives it new life. Instead of looking like a jaded New Yorker, she looks sophisticated and confident — not to mention, age-appropriate — and even a little playful. Like I said, she's the coolest girl in the room.

My 15-year-old acne-plagued face is so envious of this. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images My 15-year-old acne-plagued face is so envious of this. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:15 PM
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