Nine months after the release of his debut album ‘Long Live A$AP’, A$AP Rocky eyes Billboard Hot 100 territory with his new video for the song ‘Fashion Killa‘.
Enlisting Rihanna to pull in the viewers he’ll need to ensure a favourable chart position in the coming week, the fashion forward MC was also joined by long time pal A$AP Ferg, who hits the clip to score a little promo op of his own.
Rhythm and romance below…
Models present creations from the Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer 2014 collection during New York Fashion Week, September 12, 2013.
Credit: Reuters/Lucas JacksonNEW YORK | Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:20pm EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Fashion Week drew to a close on Thursday with prim, 1960s-inspired looks from Ralph Lauren and ragamuffin chic from Calvin Klein.
Among the last of hundreds of fashion shows that filled the week, the trend-setting Lauren went relentlessly black and white - a theme among many designers this week - then switched to eye-popping fluorescents.
His black wool crepe ottoman jacket worn over a knitted vest, white cotton shirt and black tie, along with black silk shorts and patent leather Mary Jane shoes brought to mind a tomboyish schoolgirl.
Black-and-white checked pantsuits in the Charlie Chaplin-meets-Annie Hall mode featured oversized lapels.
The youthful looks were accessorized with newsboy caps or Harry Potter-style spectacles.
Balancing out the collection were blocks of unearthly fluorescents, including searing neon leather jackets topping miniskirts.
The fashion world's attention now turns to spring and summer 2014 collection shows in London, Paris and Milan.
After Lauren's late 20th-century classics, the Calvin Klein womenswear collection on Thursday looked post-apocalyptic.
The outfits seemed fiercely scavenged, as though designer Francisco Costa had rummaged through piles of admittedly high-end scraps of silk and leather.
Several dresses consisted of broad hoops of fabric encircling the body but without quite lining up - there were no clean vertical lines here.
A knee-length skirt in faded emerald had excesses of fabric flapping off one side. Sleeves on the matching top ended at the elbow in dangling loose threads.
Indeed, the fraying hems brought the threat of unraveling everywhere, making the outfits seem loaded with back stories.
A black coat gaped open at the back - as if whoever had been stitching it ran out of thread or just gave up before finishing it.
It could easily have been a mess, but the highly engineered tailoring and the careful proportions gave beauty to the collection.
New York-based designer Anna Sui hewed close to her comfort zone, playing up elements from the late 1960s and early 1970s such as crocheted vests and fringe, mostly in warm tones and golds.
Among Sui's free-spirited, bohemian looks were kimonos, tunics and caftans of lace and printed or iridescent chiffon. Flowing scarves lent an air of Stevie Nicks to the presentation.
Dresses and tops came in crinkled chiffon, and floor-length gowns were gold lace.
For Sui's menswear, velvet and suede were the order of the day, in tones of teal and rose.
(Additional reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Eric Walsh)
NEW YORK | Thu Sep 12, 2013 7:32am EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Design companies tending to the details of fashion shows have more to think about than skirt lengths and handbag clasps - they must decide whether to seek U.S. patent protection for their looks.
Diane von Furstenberg, famous for her wrap dresses, has a design patent on a chain mail-style bag. The popular French line Celine has one on the envelope-style handbag sported by countless fashion experts at New York Fashion Week.
This summer alone, brands including Alexander Wang, Balenciaga and Tod's all were granted design patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on accessory designs, records show.
Because U.S. copyright and trademark laws often do not apply to new, logo-free designs, designers are applying for design patents to protect clothing and accessories from being targets for knock-offs, industry attorneys said.
While some brands, such as Gucci, have been obtaining design patents for decades, it is becoming more the norm for fashion companies to do the same, said intellectual property attorney Steve Nataupsky.
Design patents protect the way something looks, as opposed to more commonly known utility patents, which protect the way something is used and works.
Design patents have garnered attention in recent years due to the high-profile, high-stakes legal battles between Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co over smartphones and tablets.
A jury awarded Apple more than $1 billion last year, although a federal judge eventually cut the award by 40 percent and ordered a retrial on some of the damages.
While statistics are not available for all fashion-related design patents specifically, design patent applications have increased overall each year since 2009.
Because design patents are only available for creations with some originality, companies must carefully evaluate which designs, or portions of designs, deserve protection, said attorney Harley Lewin, who represents brands including Wang and von Furstenberg.
Fashion companies patent designs that they anticipate are going to be "big style setters" and "have a lifetime of at least a couple of years," said attorney Stephen Soffen, who has worked with Valentino and Versace.
Wang, for example, in 2011 was granted a patent for a "stud with grooves." He wanted a patent because he intended to use the studs on handbags and garments and felt they would be identifiable to his brand, Lewin said.
Wang also got patents for several other versions of studs, as well as a shoe with a cape flowing from the ankle strap, U.S. patent records show.
Savvy fashion brands also evaluate what not to patent, said attorney Elizabeth Ferrill.
If a design patent covers an entire design, those who copy it can generally escape liability as long as there are some differences between its product and the original.
And if part of a design, such as a complicated purse handle, is particularly expensive or complex, it is less likely a company seeking to make a cheaper version will copy that portion, Ferrill said.
As a result, companies might exclude that element from the patent application, so if someone copies the rest of the item, the brand will have leverage to stop them.
Design patents, which last 14 years, also offer an advantage to designers who want to keep their looks secret until they hit the runway, lawyers said.
Although applications are generally filed before goods are shown to the public, the U.S. patent office does not publish the applications until a patent is granted.
That publication typically happens a year or more after the filing, giving the goods time to find space on boutique shelves.
(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Leslie Adler)
