Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein

Lagos Wins Trademark Lawsuit

Court ruled the jewelry designer owns the 'Caviar' name

-- JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone, 8/28/2007 7:27:00 AM

A federal judge in Philadelphia ruled that jewelry designer and manufacturer Michael Dawkins, Inc. infringed upon the trademark owned by jewelry designer and manufacturer Lagos, Inc. [Complicating matters somewhat is that MDI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Aug.2.]

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald J. Buckwalter of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, through a consent order and permanent injunction, said that Philadelphia-based Lagos owns the trademark for the "Caviar" name in jewelry designs and that MDI must stop using the name in promoting and selling its own jewelry line—specifically rings, pins, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and watches. The consent order was issued July 9.

"The suit is a signal by Lagos that it is willing and able to enforce its trademarks, especially that of its signature brand," said Lagos' attorneys Lewis F. Gould Jr. and Maxim A. Voltchenko of Duane Morris L.L.P., Philadelphia.

Lagos filed a civil suit in March against New York City-based MDI and Internet retailer Twiggs, charging that the jewelry manufacturer was promoting a line of jewelry using the Caviar name, and selling the jewelry through shoptwigs.com.

... read more

Where are Trends Born?

Today on our email discussion group (if you're not already on it send a blank email to [email protected]) someone asked "How, and by whom, are seasonal jewelry trends started?  What are the top publications that jewelry designers consult regarding trends?"

I think there isn't one simple answer -- it's in the air.

Fashionable people seem to feel the wind a changin' when it's time to go from short to long or big to tiny. There's the fashion bell curve of acceptance and the early adopters are way at the beginning, the mass of the folks on the curve - and those poor schleppers at the other end of the curve so hopelessly out-of-touch.

Or is that right before the NEXT curve begins? Most trends are cyclical and in reaction to the previous one.

There's an economics to it for sure; once everyone has more skinny jeans than they can wear in a week  -- boom! Bell bottoms are back. Seen the last month's fashion magazines with HIGH WAISTED and wide cuffed jeans????? Well, we can't have those early bell curvers looking like the late curvers, can we? We have to be able to tell fashionistas from Ugly Betty's right???

Trend forecasting services are big business in the fashion world -- trends don't change as much in fine jewelry -- but if you'd like to keep up on the forecasts here's a handy chart that will link you to all the great trend forecasting services.   

And if you want to read a good trend blog -- I've found this one.

And of course, reading fashion magazines is essential to staying in the zeitgiest -- Vogue, Elle, InStyle, Lucky, W, WWD, Marie Claire, Bazaar..... European magazines, too. I've found the best subscription rates at www.netmagazines.com and Below Wholesale Magazines at 800-800-0062.

Where do you read about trends????
 

CFDA Adds 30 New Members - 3 are Jewelers

Founded in 1962, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is a not-for-profit organization of more than 300 top U.S.-based fashion and accessory designers. New members are chosen based on a vote by the board of directors upon review of their application.

This year's new members are:

Michael Ball for Rock & Republic
Victoria Bartlett for VPL
Monica Botkier for Botkier
Tory Burch
Richard Chai
Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig for Marchesa
Wenlan Chia for Twinkle
Keanan Duffty for Slinky Vagabond
Pina Ferlisi for Generra
Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry
Henry Jacobson
Phillip Lim for 3.1 Phillip Lim
Adam Lippes for Adampluseve
Andreas Melbostad for Phi
Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte
David Neville and Marcus Wainwright for Rag & Bone
James Perse
Mary Ping
Laura Poretsky for Abaeté
Jessie Randall for Loeffler Randall
Lela Rose
Rachel Roy
Paul Sinclaire for Tevrow & Chase
Michelle Smith for Milly by Michelle Smith
Mimi So
Michael Spirito for Exhibitionist
Jean Yu

Current CFDA jewelry designer members:
Simon Alcantara, Anthony Nak, Alexis Bittar, Erica Courtney, Henry Dunay, Stephen Dweck, John Hardy, Lisa Jenks, Steven Lagos, Elizabeth Locke, Paul Morelli, Robert Lee Morris, Judith Ripka, Jordan Schlanger, Mish Tworkowski (Mish New York), Katrin Zimmermann (Exovo)

When will this Affect Jewelry Design Knockoffs?

U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Nail Design Thiefs

by Renata Espinosa on www.fashionwiredaily.com
August 09th, 2007 @ 12:06 AM -
Not so fast, "fast" fashion – if a new design piracy bill that U.S. senators just introduced passes, companies hawking copies of an original design registered by a designer with the U.S. Copyright Office may find themselves dealing with a copyright infringement lawsuit. 

Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced the bill in Washington D.C. last Thursday, August 2. 

Under the bill, called the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, designers would be protected for a period of up to three years against piracy. A similar bill was presented in the House of Representatives in April by Representatives Delahunt, Goodlatte, Maloney and Bono.

Such intellectual property protection is common in Europe for designers, and just recently the label Chloe successfully sued UK retailer Topshop for producing a near-identical yellow romper. But in the U.S., current laws namely deal with counterfeit goods (those infringing on a registered trademark that purports to be authentic) but doesn't protect the designers' ideas.

Narciso Rodriguez, Marc Bouwer, Nicole Miller, Jeffrey Banks, Yeohlee Tang, Richard Lambertson of Lamberston Truex and Dana Foley of Foley and Corrina were among the American designers present at a press conference today hosted by Senator Schumer at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in support of the bill.

Seen in NYTimes on the same day

We're on .TV!

The folks at the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (an online site for consumers to give opinions about fine jewelry) has launched another site -- a YouTube for our industry called JCOC.tv.

And I've got a designer channel on it!

You can see my first roving designer reporter video at http://www.jcoc.tv/view_video.php?id=155 .

I've gone through the 4 trade shows in the past two weeks (JA Show, Buyer's Market, Accessories Circuit and NY Gift Show) meeting designers and taking video on some new collections. It's been a lot of fun. We've also taken video on their best business tips which will be going up on our site, www.jewelersresource.com, soon.

I'm also going to do Cindy's Top Designer News blog on JCOC.tv so please send me your press releases (email is best, snailmail is ok) for possible consideration on this new consumer-centric jewelry blog.

email: [email protected].

See you on the 'net!

30TH Anniversary of JA New Designer Gallery - what a party!

This was the 30th anniversary of the JA Show's New Designer Gallery and we threw ourselves quite a fete!

First came the ceremony - nearly 50 of the 300+ alumni came to celebrate and remember old times with each other... seen in the photo is Janis Savitt (M+J Savitt) Steven Lagos, Beth Moskowitz, David Yurman, Sheila Kahn, Frederica, Karen Gerstl, Deborah Blohm, Kristin Moore and Esther Gallant.

Each having been in the New Designer Gallery when they debuted in the industry. It was a GREAT time.

Next came a reunion dinner I organized for all -- we had more than 120 people there -- all laughing and telling stories and genuinely having a ball.

This was one of those epic events that made you glad to be part of this crazy business. Next time we have an event - - I hope you all can be there!