Victoria's Secret Nixes Mastectomy Bra Because 'It's Complicated'
LatestVictoria’s Secret will not be making mastectomy bras anytime soon. In response to a Change.org petition circulated earlier this year, which ultimately attracted nearly 130,000 signatures, the company says it has looked into the matter and decided making mastectomy bras is too hard:
Through our research, we have learned that fitting and selling mastectomy bras in the right way…a way that is beneficial to women is complicated and truly a science. As a result, we believe that the best way for us to make an impact for our customers is to continue funding cancer research.
On the one hand, this makes sense because Victoria’s Secret has so far only mastered the art of making bras in, oh, approximately four different sizes? Mastectomy bras would probably confound them. But on the other hand, if Nordstrom can do it… [Racked]
Zuhair Murad totally definitely obviously ripped off a Prabal Gurung design in his latest collection. [Fashionista]
Here is Karolina Kurkova on the cover of Vogue Ukraine. [FGR]
The first episode of Season 2 of Model Files is here. [YouTube]
• Diane von Furstenberg, the head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, wrote to the organization’s members expressing concern about the apparel factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed 1,127 people:
“What happened in Bangladesh is a tragedy and a harsh reminder that it is our obligation as designers to make sure our factories are a safe place to work and that the workers are respected,” von Furstenberg wrote. “I also encourage you to have your production team visit directly with your supplier partners to see firsthand the working conditions and treatment of workers. There are third-party vendors who can audit and inspect for you. It is important to know who you work with and to ensure safety and fairness in the workplace.”
Von Furstenberg included her own company’s Supplier Code of Conduct rules and Supplier Certification Document as examples. Meanwhile, two non-fatal accidents occurred at garment factories in Cambodia. The Asics shoe factory that last week suffered a partial floor collapse, which killed two workers (including one girl under the age of 16 who was employed illegally) has reopened for business. Workers say they are traumatized; a mass fainting incident occurred when there was a short-circuit at the factory. Cambodia’s garment industry is known for tolerating child labor; during a strike outside a Puma factory last year, three workers were shot by a Cambodian politician. [WWD]
• Rihanna added Erin Wasson and Pharrell Williams as judges on her U.K. fashion reality show, Styled to Rock. [Vogue UK]
• Canadian model Autumn Kendrick sounds pretty fun to hang with. She has a master’s in cultural studies (her thesis topic was BDSM), was a former principal ballet dancer at a company in Indiana, and met her husband at a pot-luck dinner for people who like board games. What’s her favorite board game?
“There’s this card game that I love called Munchkin that’s a spoof on Dungeons & Dragons. I like Careers, Monopoly….I like the more simple, like Carcassonne, Catan. OK, now I’m getting dorky.”
[WWD]
• Francisco Costa says he and the Calvin Klein brand are working on another collaboration with a mass-market retailer, akin to his Macy’s collection from last year. [Fashionista]
• Vogue and Bottega Veneta are again sponsoring a competition for emerging photographers. The winner gets $10,000 and year-long mentorships with top agency Art + Commerce and Vogue photography director Ivan Shaw. [WWD]
• Here’s another story about how used clothing donations often don’t reach the people donors imagine it will benefit. In reality, most used clothing (especially fast fashion which wasn’t made to last in the first place) is pulled from thrift store racks when it doesn’t sell within a predetermined amount of time, then bundled and sold by the pound to resellers. Those resellers then generally do one of two things with it: either they sell the bales to textile recyclers, who turn your old H&M t-shirts into carpet padding, insulation, and batting, or they sell the bales to sellers in other countries, and your worn-out Old Navy pants go to Africa. This story doesn’t mention it, but that influx of cheap used clothing makes it harder for local apparel businesses to remain competitive, and has a depressive effect on the economy, in those countries. [NPR]
• Same-day delivery is the next frontier in online shopping, because immediate gratification is one of the last competitive advantages that brick-and-mortar stores have over e-tailers. Google, eBay, Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Nordstrom are each testing it. [WWD]
• Amazon is launching a new “prestige” men’s portal. It’s accessible at amazon.com/mensgrooming and the logo is a moustache, of course. [WWD]
• Benetton’s board of directors has undergone a sea change. All four company founders — Carlo, Luciano, Gilberto, and Giuliana Benetton — have left the company. Replacing them are their adult sons and daughters, Christian Benetton, Sabrina Benetton, Alessandro Benetton, and Franca Bertagnin Benetton. [WWD]
• Qatar holding, which owns Harrods, is said to be interested in investing in Versace. [BoF]
• Profits at Giorgio Armani rose 20% from 2011 to 2012, to $434 million. [WWD]
• Profits at Burberry fell by 3.4% from 2011 to 2012, to $401.8 million. But revenue for was up for the year; the fall was attributable to one-time costs for ending its beauty license and taking its perfume and cosmetics lines in-house. [WWD]
• Urban Outfitters is continuing its turnaround. Income rose year-on-year by 38.6% during the quarter just ended, to $47 million. [WWD]