Kendall and Kylie Jenner pull 'disgusting' T-shirt line after legal threats

Celebrity sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner were called “disrespectful” and “disgusting” after they unveiled a new line of T-shirts featuring their faces superimposed over images of musical acts including Notorious BIG and Tupac Shakur.

Voletta Wallace, Notorious BIG’s mother, criticized the Jenners in an Instagram post while a lawyer for the rapper’s estate threatened legal action should the “vintage” shirts, which were on sale for $125 each, continued to be sold on their website. In the post Wallace also claimed that they had not been contacted with a request to use his image.

“I am not sure who told @kyliejenner and @kendalljenner that they had the right to do this,” Wallace’s post read. “The disrespect of these girls to not even reach out to me or anyone connected to the estate baffles me. I have no idea why they feel they can exploit the deaths of 2pac and my son Christopher to sell a T-shirt. This is disrespectful, disgusting, and exploitation at its worst!!!”

Sharon Osbourne also criticized the T-shirts, tweeting: “Girls, you haven’t earned the right to put your face with musical icons. Stick to what you know … lip gloss.”

It is not the first time a Jenner sister has found herself embroiled in controversy this year. Kendall, 21, caused a stir after appearing in a Pepsi advertisement released in April that was panned for its trivialization of protests and activism. In the advertisement, Jenner can be seen handing a Pepsi to a police officer at a protest march and subsequently calming tensions between the activists and law enforcement. The two-minute spot was widely derided and Pepsi was forced to pull the advertisement.

“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize,” said the company’s spokesperson in a statement released in April. “We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”

Jenner also came under fire when she appeared last year in a Marc Jacobs fashion show outfitted in dreadlocks. The designer defended the choice, which was largely seen as an inappropriate co-opting of a hairstyle rich with cultural and ethnic history.

This latest scandal has earned the sister’s widespread criticism on social media, as accusations of cultural appropriation and insensitivity mounted throughout the day on Thursday until they pulled the T-shirts from their website. The line also included images of the sisters plastered on classic-rock logos of bands such as Pink Floyd, Metallica, and The Doors.

Julian K Petty, the lawyer for Notorious BIG’s estate, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Jenner’s on Thursday, demanding the pair stop selling the shirts by 5pm on Friday. “This is misappropriation at its finest,” Petty told TMZ. “I’m curious to hear the justification. I’m even more curious to hear the proposed resolution.”

Debenhams shakes-up long-standing fashion designer partnerships

The new chief executive of Debenhams is cutting back on some of the older fashion designers who have been selling ranges at the department store for decades as he tries to freshen up its cool credentials.

It is understood Sergio Bucher has decided to discontinue Betty Jackson, the 67-year-old London designer who launched Marks & Spencer’s Autograph suits collection in 2000, as part of his turnaround strategy.

Jeff Banks, the 73-year-old Warehouse co-founder who rose to popular fame in Eighties TV series The Clothes Show, will have his ranges shrunk to just formal suits and shirts.

No decisions have yet been made on other veterans, who include the likes of 63-year-old semi-retired John Rocha, Jasper Conran, 57, and Ben de Lisi, 61.

Bucher, who has also held senior roles at Zara owner Inditex, Nike and Puma is expected to bring in new designers to refresh the ranges Debenhams offers its customers.

While Designers at Debenhams, launched in 1993, started the idea of boutiques creating High Street ranges, other chains have arguably eclipsed it since. Topshop teamed up with Kate Moss, H&M with Stella McCartney.

It is not clear who Bucher plans to use as he refreshes Debenhams’ roster, but the recent success in its beauty departments of makeup from cult LA tattooist and model Kat von D could be a sign of a shift to appeal to a younger clientele.

Bucher will update on his strategic plan for Debenhams in April.

Victoria’s Secret Puts Record Number Of Asian Models On Its Runway

The luxurious world of lingerie is embracing diversity.

Victoria’s Secret’s world-famous annual fashion show included a record number of Asian women this year, with Ming Xi, Sui He, Xiao Wen Ju and Liu Wen ― all Chinese supermodels with massive Instagram followings.

Compare that with the two Asian models, out of a total of 44 women, who were in the show last year.

The 51 models strutted down the Paris runway Wednesday, but the annual show will premiere on TV on Monday night. The incredibly popular lingerie special will be broadcasted in more than 190 countries and typically pulls in an audience of around 6.6 million people.

The four Chinese models shared their excitement earlier this week by releasing a group photo of them posing, with peace signs raised, in front of the pink Victoria’s Secret banner in Paris.

Victoria’s Secret had been criticized for not featuring a more racially diverse lineup of models over the course of the fashion show’s 21-year history. In fact, no Asian model had walked the VS runway until 2009, according to Yahoo Style.

In recent years, however, the lingerie giant has ramped up its efforts to be inclusive.

Last year, Angolan model Maria Borges was the first black Victoria’s Secret model to wear natural hair down the runway. And this year, you can expect to see several models of color rocking a variety of natural tresses ― Afros, loose curls and all.

Similarly, Sui He has appeared in every Victoria’s Secret annual fashion show since 2011.

The lingerie brand’s decision to double down on Chinese models for the 2016 show may have been a strategic move as well, Yahoo Style reports.

Victoria’s Secret slipped into the Chinese market in 2015 with beauty and accessory shops and, after seeing success in the market, announced plans to open its signature bra and panty stores in the country.

And, as Reuters reported in July, the market for high-end lingerie in China has skyrocketed in five years, amounting to an $18 billion industry.

Victoria’s Secret echoed the Chinese models’ excitement by posting a photo of three of them on their own account, greeting them with a traditional “Ni hao” on Instagram.

Check out a preview of Victoria’s Secret’s event in the photo gallery below, and tune in to CBS at 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 5 for the full runway show.

How To Wear This Season’s Most Bewitching Trend

On the back of fashion’s recent fixation with Victoriana this season designers opted for a more demonic take on high-neck, frill-embellished garb. Ladies, welcome to the dark side.

While gothic style is nothing new it’s been a while since it entered high fashion’s conscience but thankfully, and just in time for Halloween, luxed-up, noir-laden glamour is back.

Perhaps the most straight-up goth looks came on behalf of Marc Jacobs who opted for black lacquered lips, smudged eyes and a collection vaulting in theatrical volume. There were feathers, lace, glossy black patent casting and crocheted doily collars ala Wednesday Adams.

Alexander Wang warped his looks with studded boots, sheer tights, metal-pierced leather and just about everything edged in heavy metal chains while Rodarte opted for a more sensual take on gloomy gothic glam.

With a nod to art-nouveau, the designer’s take on darkness was bewitchingly elegant. There were autumnal floral head dresses, hand-painted guipure lace, frill-embellished leather and oversized belt buckle chokers. Embellishment overrode here though with hand-cut florals, mesh and sequined lace.

Conspicuously dark and seriously bad-ass this modern take on black magic dressing champions some of the sassiest goth femmes around. The trend offers you a chance to get strange and unusual like Lydia Deetz and not just for one night only.

If like me, you’re partial to a spot of macabre dressing anyhow then try revamping your already blackened ‘drobe with some texture; lace and lots of it is the real key to pulling off this bewitching style.

If you’re new to the dark side though, start with some well-chosen accessories. If you’re a fan of the enduring 90s revival chances are you already own a choker and luckily, they’re a Victoriana-goth staple.

Fashion fairground in New York for the launch of their 'see now, buy now' collection

Tommy Hilfiger is always a fan of a SET. In the past he’s whipped up Caribbean islands, football fields, Alpine mountains, not forgetting last season’s giant cruise liner – which are all usually housed inside, out of sight of the public's prying eyes, with the furore left to unfold in the comments below the plethora of Instagram images posted by the ticket holding industry insider attendees.

But this time, there was a marked shift. Hilfiger called it a democratisation, and a show that he had always wanted to pull off. Having taken over an entire pier - Downtown past the Brooklyn Bridge - he carefully created a Tommy fairground theme park, complete with wurlitzers, a 40 foot big wheel, lucky dips, tattoo stalls (stick-on), doughnut shops, burgers, fries, the lot: a veritable explosion of vintage kitsch.

The invitation came complete with a giant poster and stickers, which one show-goer  - dressed in a tropical printed jersey dress – had gamely stuck across her décolletage and legs.

If this was fashion Disneyland, then the star princess was Gigi Hadid, the mega-model with 22.5million Instagram followers, and Zayn Malik as boyfriend.

Hadid and Hilfiger have teamed up to launch the first Hilfiger ‘see now, buy now’ collection. Ostensibly designed by the duo, and available now for purchase. It is a shift away from the normal six month time lag of presenting collections which appear in stores half a year later. The reasoning being, that in these days of instant everything, the attention focused on catwalk collections would be better exploited immediately rather than expecting people to wait and still remember what they wanted a thousand images ago.

Cleverly, Hilfiger has tapped directly into this insta-generation, in signing up one of their leading figures – the potent combination of Hadid plus ‘you can buy this outfit she is wearing right now’ should, in theory, be a no brainer.

In support, the singer Taylor Swift arrived at the show wearing pieces from the collection which has already been debuted around the world this week, as Hadid embarked on a mini-tour promoting it – and which this crowd were about to witness on the runway.

This democracy went further still. 2000 members of the public, who won free tickets to the extravaganza, were able to watch on live, standing penned behind the seated press and buyers – whose role here is perhaps slightly obsolete.

Tomorrow, the Tommy Pier will be open to all to enjoy the rides and scoff down lobster rolls, candy floss and giant pretzels.

And as for the clothes you may be wondering: well, Hadid’s collection largely followed on from Hilfiger’s nautical themed autumn/winter collection, with an extra level of Americana blue, red and white insignia, including a rather Royal Tenenbaum-esque red tracksuit and featuring the Nineties-motif of the Hilfiger logo as waist band. Hadid herself opened the show in a skin tight pair of leather trousers styled with a jaunty naval frogged navy and gold jacket and bandana around her neck. These are clothes that should directly appeal to the young fans of Hadid - cool, but with familiar and safe style tropes. As a first step into the unchartered waters of direct to consumer fashion shows, it was a pretty fun ride.

Has Fashion Abandoned the Suit

Three. That was the grand total of suits that Hedi Slimane sent down the runway for his final menswear hurrah as the creative director of Saint Laurent during the fall 2016 shows last February. The same season, Bottega Veneta showed five, Hermès and Salvatore Ferragamo had four, and Louis Vuitton, just three. Burberry, the stingiest of all, showed one. Eight years ago, each brand showed up to three times as many.

These days, the suit is considered too boring for the cameras. Even when a label with a rich tailoring heritage does fill its runway with a slew of “interesting” suits, the results can feel out of touch, as was the case with Joseph Abboud’s army of three-piece clad dandies; the flashy, rock-’n’-roll-influenced suits at designer Justin O’Shea’s debut at Brioni; and Balenciaga’s cartoonishly oversize Talking Heads suits, which is purely an avant-garde fashion statement. Not exactly a corner-office look. Or even a generously-sized-cubicle look.

So how did the straightforward suit become the catwalk equivalent of an endangered black rhino? The answer may well be in the palm of your hand. “On social media you need to do something that’s really bright and really loud,” said Patrick Johnson, an Australian with a bespoke tailoring business that cuts custom suits for businessmen around the world. Designers aren’t just looking to appease fashion editors, they’re also hoping for precious retweets and likes. From that standpoint, the decision is clear: a tie-dye Valentino poncho will garner more attention than a pristine but predictable suit. And buzz can drive retail.

But it’s not just designers who are shedding the suit. A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that financial firms like J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., BlackRock and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP relaxed their strict suit-only policies to allow business-casual for most situations. Dress codes are softening all over. “For the last century, men wore suits, and the market share was about 16 hours a day,” said George Bass, proprietor of an eponymous 31-year-old boutique in New Orleans. “Now it’s maybe 16 hours a week.” Market research firm Euromonitor International reported that suit sales in the U.S. declined 2% last year, the third straight year they’ve taken a hit.

It would make sense, then, that designers are paying tailored clothes less overt attention. Except that there are still legions of style-conscious men who have to wear a suit to work everyday. Take Peter Rothschild, 42, a dapper financial investor in Chicago who wants to “express himself but not stand out.” It would be tough to imagine him closing a deal in one of Brioni’s body-hugging, three-piece numbers. “There’s nothing on the runway that would have any influence over what I wear,” he said.

So has fashion abandoned the suit-wearing man? Not quite. It’s important to note that there’s a vast disconnect between what’s shown and what’s shipped to stores. Italian label Eidos, for instance, does a brisk business in tailoring, but, for fall 2016, designer Antonio Ciongoli chose to show just two suits (and took care to obscure one almost entirely with an overcoat).

The good news is that the fashionably evolved but palatable suit does exist. You just have to dig a little. “To a certain extent, the tasteful, understated stuff never gets a ton of attention,” said Kirk Miller, co-founder of the New York-based tailoring outfit Miller’s Oath, which has only ever shown its suits by private appointment.

Now that the “peacock” look, with its overflowing pocket squares and novelty cuff links, all the fashion a few years ago, is dèmodè, subtlety is key. “We’re no longer in the world of gelato- shaded plaids,” said Eidos’s Mr. Ciongoli. “That’s not what anybody wants to look like.” He recommends fabrics that are distinguished by low-key visual complexities, like a tonal gray-on-gray check or a finely flecked indigo-dyed wool, distinctive but not as loud as bold stripes and plaids. And instead of dandyish emerald or ruby shades, colors that are just a couple steps away from the ubiquitous classics quietly telegraph that you’re not one of the schlubby masses. “Today, there’s not only 50 shades of gray, there’s 50 shades of blue,” said New Orleans-based boutique owner Mr. Bass. And when it comes to fit, big padded shoulders and rigid construction are out; a softer, unstructured shape looks newer (and feels better).

This somewhat anonymous suit is certainly a better match for the more casual landscape; you don’t want to appear outmoded in a Gordon Gekko-esque pinstriped number next to the 20-something T-shirt-wearing CEO whose company you’re funding.

It doesn’t mean, however, that self-expression is dead when it comes to tailored looks. Quite the contrary. The new, more relaxed suits “lend themselves to different occasions,” said Bruce Pask, men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman. Unstructured and understated suits from brands like Kiton, Attolini and Thom Sweeney, explained Mr. Pask, are sufficiently versatile that you can wear them not only with a white button-down and a woven tie but over a pique cotton polo shirt, a crewneck sweater or a T-shirt. Sneakers don’t look out of place.

From halfpipes to Halfpops, business ventures are sizzling with synergy for this Olympian

Ongoing endorsement deals with snowboarding apparel brand Burton and sunglasses maker Oakley (to name just two) and a new exclusive-to-Macy’s clothing line aren’t all that the “Shauntrepreneur” has in the works. Here are a few of the other business ventures in which Olympic gold medalist and Los Angeles-area resident Shaun White has a stake:

Air + Style: White bought a majority interest in this event, which combines music and snowboarding (at which he won competitions in 2003 and 2004), from Innsbruck, Austria-based founder Andrew Hourmont in early 2014. The just-announced upcoming tour dates include Beijing (Nov. 18 and 19), Innsbruck (Feb. 3 and 4) and a return to Los Angeles’ Exposition Park (Feb. 18 and 19).

“There’s talk of, after the next Olympics, creating a [snowboarding] tour that may be branded Air + Style that would be an [Olympic] qualifying event,” White says. “It could solve a lot of problems.”

Mammoth Resorts: In January, White purchased a minority stake in the company that owns the Mammoth Mountain, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain resorts in Southern California. “Big Bear was the mountain I grew up riding. It was home court so it all came together naturally,” he says. One of the ideas he has percolating is to bring youth skateboarding clinics based on the soccer-camp model to Big Bear Mountain Resorts.

“We’re planning to make camps up there,” he says, “And make it more accessible to kids from the city. There will be qualified instructors, the best facilities and a way to get your kid safely to the mountain and back home the same day.” There’s also the possibility, White says, of using one of the mountains as a future venue for one of his Air + Style events.

Halfpops: In May 2015, White bought a stake in Halfpops, a 5-year-old Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company that makes a partially popped popcorn snack food that crunch-wise falls between corn nut and traditionally popped kernel delivered in a compact shape roughly the size of a shelled pea.

“My family is really into popcorn — it’s our guilty pleasure. We’ll get big bags, and they’ll be all over the house,” White says, “And I stumbled across these, and they’re good to carry in your pocket when you ride because you can’t crush them.”

In addition to helping dream up new flavors, including his favorite Brooklyn Dill Pickle, White’s involvement has given the snack food company more exposure, including getting samples of the snack into the hands of thousands of attendees at the February 2015 Air + Style event in L.A.