Industry News – April 29th, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Friday, April 29th, 2016…

LORD & TAYLOR CITED FOR NOT DISCLOSING PAYMENTS TO FASHION BLOGGERS – California Apparel News
“In the last decade, the fine line between paid advertising and commentary has grown more complicated as social-media sites and fashion blogs become the norm for getting out the word about a new product. But the Federal Trade Commission has become more vigilant about making sure there is truth in advertising and consumers are not deceived. Recently, Lord & Taylor settled charges lodged by the FTC claiming that the retailer last year paid some 50 fashion bloggers anywhere between $1,000 and $4,000 to post commentaries on Instagram and other social-media spots about a paisley dress that was part of Lord & Taylor’s Design Lab private-label collection. Each post was preapproved by Lord & Taylor and targeted to women between the ages of 18 and 35. However, the bloggers did not disclose they were paid to post images of themselves wearing the dress from the collection and that they got the dress for free.”

MODCLOTH’S NEW SWIMWEAR CAMPAIGN IS ALL ABOUT BODY POSITIVITY – Nylon
“For as long as swimsuits have been sold, retailers have used Amazonian models to sell their latest itsy bitsy line of goods, a practice that has propagated unrealistic body expectations for women everywhere. That’s why a new initiative from ModCloth feels so important. For their latest line of swimwear, the online purveyors of indie-inspired clothes have enlisted a group of ModCloth employees and social media influencers to model the summer’s latest looks.  But what these women do for a living isn’t really the point. What matters here, is what these women look like. They’re a diverse group, and represent a giant “eff you” to the fashion world’s status quo. “I want to show other people like me that it’s okay to look like me and love your body,” said ModCloth founder Susan Gregg Koger.”

A CHINESE SPORTSWEAR BRAND CALLED UNCLE MARTIAN JUST LAUNCHED, AND IT APPEARS TO BE OPENLY RIPPING OFF UNDER ARMOUR – Business Insider
“A company in China just unveiled a premium sports clothing brand that looks very similar to Under Armour. Images from Uncle Martian’s launch show were shared widely on social media this week when people noticed the blatant similarities between the two sports clothing brands. The 25-year-old Chinese sports manufacturer Tingfei Long Sporting Goods Co. is behind the new brand, according to Mashable, where we first spotted the story. Uncle Martian is not even trying to hide the similarities between the two sports clothing brands. On Weibo, a Chinese social-media site, Uncle Martian shared a post that included a photo of the Under Armour logo alongside images from the launch.”

VICTORIA’S SECRET IS TURNING ITS BACK ON WHAT MADE IT POPULAR – Business Insider
“Victoria’s Secret is changing its ways. The company is heavily promoting its bralettes — bras without padding. Advertisements for these padding-free bras are all over the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages. The company is pushing a more natural aesthetic. For years, Victoria’s Secret was known for its push-up bras. The company’s advertising made it seem like the ample padding could give customers the chest shape of its iconic Angels. Now, the company is racing to meet customers’ growing demand for bras with less padding.”

ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP TAKES OSTRICH FIGHT INTO PRADA – FashionMag
“Animal rights group Peta said Thursday it has acquired shares in Prada to pursue its protest over ostrich leather handbags from inside the luxury fashion group. Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) said the move followed an investigation which revealed that ostriches as young as one were being slaughtered in South Africa to produce the “goose bump” leather the company uses for its costly bags.”

#HYPEBEASTKIDS: GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI LAUNCHES A CHILDREN’S LUXURY SNEAKER LINE – Hypebeast
“Best known for its luxurious sneaker designs and fine Italian craftsmanship, Giuseppe Zanotti has expanded its offerings to include smaller humans in addition to its adult sizes. Titled Giuseppe Junior, the children’s line translates Zanotti’s experience designing for the offspring of Kimye, Beyoncé and Karolina Kurkova, and makes use of rarefied materials such as nappa leather, velvet and laminates alongside metallic accents, gold and crystals on seven styles of the brand’s signature bar buckle sneaker.”