Wal-Mart and Joe Fresh Among Labels in Collapsed Bangladesh Factory
LatestAs the rescue effort continues in the wreckage of an eight-story factory building that collapsed Wednesday in Bangladesh, we have more news on the disaster’s human toll — and on the clothing brands that were manufactured in the factories there. The death toll has reached an estimated 230 and more than 1,000 people are injured. Labels found in the wreckage include Joe Fresh, Mango, Primark, Benetton, and Wal-Mart house brands.
In case you’re curious about the cost of a young Bangladeshi woman’s life — around 80% of the four factories’ combined 2,500+ workforce were women aged 20 or younger — the government has offered compensation of up to $250 to families of the deceased and $65 to the injured. According to labor rights groups, at a garment factory in Bangladesh, which is the second largest exporter of apparel in the world, workers earn “12 cents an hour for helpers, 22 cents for junior sewing operators and just 26 cents an hour for even the most senior sewing operators.” [CNN, WWD]
E! dug up some old modeling test photos of Jennifer Lawrence when she was a teen. [YouTube]
Jourdan Dunn, keeping it real. [@MissJourdanDunn]
Anna Wintour and Marc Jacobs wore the same Prada coat. [@TheLoveMagazine]
This Julep Polymer top coat is getting written up on a lot of beauty blogs: it promises a gel manicure-like finish, but it cures in natural light, not a U.V. lamp, and it can be removed with regular nail polish remover, not pure acetone. [The Cut]
In other nail news, Ciaté is now offering a “chalkboard” manicure. You can draw on it. [YouTube]
• George Soros just bought 7.9% of J.C. Penney, a major vote of confidence in the struggling retailer and its stock. [Dealbook]
• Victoria Beckham is apparently still gunning for a cover of American Vogue. According to a “source”:
“Posh is in talks about an upcoming cover and a feature where she’ll talk about leaving Los Angeles, David’s move to Paris and her new daughter. It’s a big deal, and she wants it. Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour enjoys making people work for it.”
One day, Tori. One day. [Daily Star, Telegraph]
• Sally Singer says she was there for punk the first time around, and she’s excited for the Met Costume Institute show “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” Here’s how she used to dress:
“I definitely did the school girl kilt look for quite some time. I did leopard for some time. As we moved more into the New Romantic period, from theVogue pattern book I would do my own screwed up version of a YSL ball skirt with a blouse where I wired the collar to go up the back of my neck. I think there was a Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe drop waist kind of ’20s flapper dress that I wore with combat boots. And berets, there was an endless amount of beret going on. It was always beatnik punk. Yes, I was very dramatic.”
In her capacity as Vogue‘s digital creative director, Singer commissioned four women directors — Quentin Jones, Mary Nighy, Cass Bird, and Emily Kai Bock — to do short Web videos with famous models (Cara Delevingne, Daria Werbowy) interpreting “punk.” [Fashionista]
• Sandra Choi, the new creative director of Jimmy Choo (and niece of the Jimmy Choo) says she sees the brand evolving away from its sexy-stiletto-pump, Sex and the City roots. “It’s time to give this place a shake,” says Choi. “Jimmy Choo is that sexy, strappy, stiletto thing — but it can be something else, too.” [Telegraph]
• Karl Lagerfeld is pretty sure he is 77 years old. [The Cut]
• Donatella Versace wrote an entire article for Italy’s Amica magazine about how happy she is that Lady Gaga wears Versace all the time and that Donatella and Gaga are like BFFs now. [WWD]
• Victoria’s Secret is not happy that former model Kylie Bisutti, who walked in the 2009 Victoria’s Secret show, has been talking up her past association with the brand when promoting her forthcoming memoir and her Christian fashion line. Bisutti quit modeling because she felt it conflicted with her religious convictions. Victoria’s Secret released the following epically bitchy statement:
Ms. Bisutti has made numerous fabrications and misstatements of fact regarding her brief association with Victoria’s Secret. In 2009, Ms. Bisutti won an online amateur modeling competition and hasn’t worked for us since that year. The prize for the winning contestant was the unique opportunity to a one-time walk in the 2009 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Ms. Bisutti also participated in a swim photo shoot in 2009. That was the extent of Ms. Bisutti’s involvement with Victoria’s Secret. She was never a Victoria’s Secret ‘Angel’ as defined by the terms of our Angel model contract. And contrary to Ms. Bisutti’s claims, she was never offered any subsequent modeling contracts or opportunities with Victoria’s Secret despite her multiple appeals for further work. She has repeatedly fabricated her work experience with Victoria’s Secret — including a relationship that simply did not exist.
Bisutti should probably stop letting people assume that because she worked for Victoria’s Secret, she was an “Angel.” But before and after winning the VS model search, Bisutti had agency representation in New York; she was a “real” model. There’s no need to try and discredit her by making out that she won her career in a box of Cracker Jack. [People]
• Christopher Finazzo, the former Aeropostale executive accused of orchestrating an elaborate $25 million kickbacks scheme with one of the company’s vendors, was found guilty of 16 counts of fraud and conspiracy. [WWD]
• H&M is making a big push into the Indian market. The chain plans to spend around $130 million on an initial 50 stores in the country. [BoF]
• Ambre Dahan of Joe’s Jeans is launching a new Web site called Walk In My Closet that allows users to upload images of their clothes and accessories, put together outfits, “follow” the closets of other users whose style they admire, and sell their gently used cast-offs. [Fashionista]