When Amazon announced they it would sponsor this year's Met Gala, it became instantly clear that the company has its sights set on exploring fashion projects further. The online giant, which already owns e-commerce companies like ShopBop and Zappos, has confirmed that they will be working with a lot more high end brands in future. The Times reports:
Amazon's decision to go after high fashion is about plain economics. Because Amazon's costs are about the same whether it is shipping a $10 book or a $1,000 skirt, "gross profit dollars per unit will be much higher on a fashion item," [CEO Jeff Bezos] said, and it already makes money on fashion. While its MyHabit site, started last year, uses a flash-sale model to compete with Gilt Groupe, Mr. Bezos says the company's new effort is not about selling clothes at deep discounts but at prices that ensure that "the designer brands are happy."
I'm not quite sure how that is going to work. The main reason that people go to Amazon is for the unbeatably low prices so how Bezos plans not to alienate these customers with the changes will be interesting to see.
Alexander McQueen didn't exactly try to camouflage the fact that several of his pieces featuring a winged skull were inspired by the Hells Angels motorcycle group's symbol. The "death head" appears on pieces like the "Hells Angels Jacquard Box Dress" (for $1,565) and the "Hell's Four-Finger Ring" (for $495). However, the name reference alone didn't stop the bikers from suing McQueen, Saks Fifth Avenue and Zappos for selling items they thought veered into copyright-infringement territory.
"This isn't just about money, it's about membership," explained Fritz Clapp, a red-mowhawked biker who also serves as the Hells Angels' lawyer. "If you've got one of these rings on, a member might get really upset that you're an imposter."
And don't we all get confused when edgy types in heels with a copy of French Vogue sticking out of their handbags sport rough-looking rings when walking from boutique to boutique? According to a lawyer who spoke to Page Six, "the world is full of skulls," and though the bikers successfully sued Disney previously, it's not exactly a clear-cut case.
Lady Gaga expectedly took a lion's share of the attention at Monday's ACE Awards, what with her Victorian-style lace face cover and boudoir hotpants, but it was Betsey Johnson who was flashing her rear by the end of the night. (Apparently, in partnership with the shoe e-tailer Zappos.)
Also at the event, Erin Wasson gave us an Angelina Jolie-effect BBD (big black dress), Marc Jacobs struck a pose with Lorenzo Martone, and Agyness Deyn showed us that false lash after false lash on the bottom lid might just be the next trend.
