On Thursday local time, two major French fashion brands CHANEL and SAINT LAURENT issued a joint advertisement, declaring that the two brands have reached a consensus and pledged to work together to protect the intellectual property rights of French luxury brands from now on. However, perhaps some people are not aware that last summer these two major brands almost launched a century-long lawsuit, with CHANEL’s top leader even speaking out personally.
What exactly happened?
Last April, due to the severe global pandemic, SAINT LAURENT led by Anthony Vaccarello released the FW21 series shot by the team in Iceland, once again showcasing the brand’s unique style. A total of 64 women’s outfits appeared, which were supposed to be a highlight of the season in the cold and magnificent setting, but the colorful clothing made for the season was ultimately fiercely criticized by netizens. It all stemmed from the FW21 series, in which Anthony Vaccarello brought several different styles of Tweed fabric jackets, which were accused of being directly copied from CHANEL’s iconic Tweed Jacket.
The incident was immediately noticed, and many seasoned fashion enthusiasts quickly dissected the 64 looks from SAINT LAURENT’s season, pointing out several detailed similarities with CHANEL’s classic designs, such as the Tweed fabric jackets in the collection featuring four pockets, lace edges, pearl buttons, and other detailed designs; up to eighty percent of the looks were paired with gold chain belts, and the thickness and size of the belts, as well as the Maltese cross on some of the belts, are very similar to CHANEL’s iconic designs.
As the incident continues to escalate, two weeks later, CHANEL’s fashion department president and current chairman Bruno Pavlovsky finally spoke out, pointing directly in an interview: “Seeing a brand parasitic on another brand is truly heartbreaking. SAINT LAURENT is a great brand. I believe that not writing one’s own (brand) history and instead absorbing others like a sponge is truly shameful. However, customers will not be deceived. They will discern which brand truly creates the most beautiful Tweed Jacket in the world.” What started as a simple online joke has now escalated into a public opinion debate due to Bruno Pavlovsky’s remarks; however, some netizens feel that having Bruno Pavlovsky speak out personally may make CHANEL seem too concerned. (Whether being concerned or not is difficult to judge, but Anthony Vaccarello’s performance and skills during his over 6 years at SAINT LAURENT have been undeniable.)
How has the situation developed now?
After nine months of negotiations, the matter finally came to an end this Thursday. The two major companies released a joint statement through “WWD” yesterday, as follows:
“French fashion and haute couture brands are also important elements of French tradition. Their creativity, exquisite craftsmanship, and ability to inspire millions of people around the world have made a globally impactful contribution to the French industry. We must protect true creativity and originality from being infringed upon by parasitic companies that rely on copying and counterfeiting. CHANEL and SAINT LAURENT also have a long history of mutual respect, standing together and supporting each other in defending creativity from being undermined by commercial models or any attempts to dilute their creative and investment value.”
After the end of the 《WWD》 period, when asked about the original meaning of the joint advertisement by CHANEL, the brand stated that they did not specifically target any company. “We (both brands) have great respect for our peers and all brands that contribute to the reputation and excellence of French and international haute couture fashion. Many companies have tried to profit from our long history, image, and creativity. We believe it is appropriate to reiterate our willingness to protect what makes French fashion valuable.” It is worth noting that over the past nine months, the most concerning issue for the public has been any legal action resulting from the incident. CHANEL has also refused to confirm or deny whether this incident involves any related legal proceedings. This means that the incident has officially come to a close.
From 1925, when Ms. Gabrielle “Coco” CHANEL first conceived the Tweed Jacket women’s suit on Rue de Cambon, to the subsequent highly anticipated and world-historic events that followed its birth, to “Karl Lagerfeld” taking over as CHANEL’s creative director, leading the brand into new territory challenging traditional CHANEL aesthetics and female imagery, this century-old classic has been guiding CHANEL and the fashion world towards finding a better world. As the events unfold, it is also time to remind every fashion enthusiast that the existence of fashion has always been a great force in seeking a better world – whether it’s the Tweed Jacket or the pioneering and rebellious ideas in the DNA of the SAINT LAURENT brand, they should go hand in hand.
資料及圖片來源：Web Photo
