July 11, 2018

Converse loses case against Dutch shoemakers

Filed under: Fashion by Orangemaster @ 12:23 pm

After a decade of fighting in court with American shoe company Converse over ‘fake’ All-Stars shoes, Dutch company Sporttrading Holland is now awaiting about 100 million euro in compensation. Just the lawyers cost easily 2 million euro, according to the Dutch company.

In 2009, Sporttrading Holland went bankrupt over Converse’s decision to sue them for selling similar shoes. Amusingly enough, their shoes were made at the same place that Converse’s shoes were made and were even distributed by the same distributor.

The Dutch company managed to rise from the ashes, but now it will have the chance to continue the way it should have in the first place instead of being ‘portrayed as a bunch of criminals’. Dutch distributor of Converse shoes Kesbo Sport hasn’t said anything in the media as we write this.

(Link: telegraaf.nl)

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June 13, 2018

Van Haren loses red-soled shoe case

Filed under: Fashion by Orangemaster @ 3:45 pm

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While the score was 1-1 at half time for German-owned Dutch shoe chain Van Haren that had received advice from top experts that they would most probably win their case against French brand Louboutin with their trademarked red-lacquered sole, Van Haren has now lost their case at the European Court of Justice, making it a 2-1 victory for Louboutin.

A few years ago, German-owned Dutch shoe chain Van Haren was selling red-soled shoes that were very similar to Louboutin’s iconic high heels. Louboutin was not amused and took Van Haren to court. The European Court received advice from their top experts that ‘you can’t trademark a colour if it stops the competition from making wares with the same functionality, especially combined with the form’, and most folks thought that’s the way the ruling would go, but it didn’t.

Yesterday, judges rejected the official advice of their own top lawyer who said in February that the red soles could not be trademarked. Louboutin has faced a series of legal battles over its distinctive soles. A Paris appeals court in May ruled against the French shoe company Kesslord after it sold red-bottomed shoes and ordered it to pay 7,500 euro in damages to Louboutin.

(Link: phys.org, Photo of Louboutin shoe by Arroser, some rights reserved)

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June 23, 2017

It’s 1-1 in the Van Haren vs Louboutin shoe fight

Filed under: Fashion by Orangemaster @ 6:00 pm

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A few years ago German-owned Dutch shoe chain Van Haren was selling what appeared to be a nod to French brand Louboutin’s high heels, with their trademarked red-lacquered sole. Louboutin picked up on that and took Van Haren to court, and Van Haren lost.

The basic story was that the colour of the sole and the Louboutin brand were difficult to see separately because they used it on all their shoes. Even though a pair of Louboutins can cost up to a couple of months’ rent, the ones Van Haren sold cost 40 euro, but even though there was no comparison, it was all about the sole.

Van Haren decided to duke it out in the European Court, which received advice from their top experts that ‘you can’t trademark a colour if it stops the competition from making wares with the same functionality, especially combined with the form’. And usually the European Court sides with their advisors.

Sometimes, it’s ‘fake shallots’, this time it’s red soles.

(Link: rtlnieuws.nl, Photo of Louboutin shoe by Arroser, some rights reserved)

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February 6, 2016

Van Gogh exhibition free for women in high heels

Filed under: Art by Orangemaster @ 7:36 pm

A multimedia Van Gogh exhibition in Moscow is letting women with high heels in for free and giving 50% off to men named ‘Sergey’ inspired by a music video of the band Leningrad and their song ‘Exponat’, a fact most sources have failed to mentioned altogether. Shame on you all because the video is funny, although yes funnier if you understand Russian like I do. And it’s been viewed 34 million times and counting.

In an attempt to pick the right outfit for a date to a Van Gogh exhibition with an eligible older man, a woman realises what she really needs is a pair of Louboutin high heels. And that goes horribly wrong.

The video features modern Russian humour and has jokes about a very pretty yet insecure woman worried about everything, including her butt. Luckily her mom is there to help her fit into her skinny jeans. And that goes horribly wrong, too.

(Links: www.thestar.com, www.usnews.com)

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November 23, 2015

Girl named Isis blocked by major brand

Filed under: Fashion,Weird by Orangemaster @ 1:48 pm

Isis

They killed off Isis the dog on the British series Downton Abbey, named after the ancient Egyptian goddess who is getting poo-filled buckets’ worth of undeserved bad press for having the wrong name at the wrong time in recent history. And now it’s the turn of a 16-year-old girl named Isis from Enschede who definitely has no reason to change her name or be written out of anybody’s script.

Isis tried to order a pair of custom-made Nike running shoes with her name on it, but the online message was “Sorry, the ID you have entered does not meet our guidelines”. Heaven forbid fashion-forward terrorists want to advertise their crew on their shoes! The sadder part as that according to RTV Oost, Isis is being bullied at school because of her name.

Unlike representing the Ancient Greek goddess of victory, it seems that Nike is letting the terrorists win.

Isis (the bad guys) and Enschede have an odd link with each other, as this spring terrorists were using fake passports with ‘Enshede’ on them.

(Link: www.bd.nl, Photo of Isis, Egyptian goddess by Darla Hueske, some rights reserved)

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September 23, 2015

Another batch of 3D printed shoes by United Nude

Filed under: Fashion,Technology by Orangemaster @ 1:04 pm

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In 2013 3D printed shoes by United Nude were unveiled during Paris Fashion Week, and this time ice block inspired shoes have been recently launched during Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out in Taipei, Taiwan. The shoes will be on display there until 28 September and feature a live 3D printing installation.

United Nude’s creative director Rem D. Koolhaas said that 3D printing allows them to experiment with new shapes much quicker than before without big development costs and for very small quantities. The shoes have eight-inch heels and were were printed on a CubePro desktop printer using plastic PLA filament.

(Link and photo: www.dezeen.com)

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July 17, 2013

Dutch designed 3D printed shoes debut on Paris catwalk

Filed under: Design by Orangemaster @ 12:02 pm

A manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems for prototyping and manufacturing Stratasys has announced the unveiling of 12 pairs of 3D printed shoes during Paris Fashion Week. In collaboration with Dutch designers Iris van Herpen and Creative Director of United Nude (shoe above) Rem D. Koolhaas, Stratasys 3D printed the shoes with a number of intricate geometries designed to mimic elements of nature. Following the success of van Herpen’s recent collaboration with Stratasys for an elaborate 3D printed dress, Van Herpen teamed up with Rem D. Koolhaas to design a tree root inspired shoe.

(Link: www.dutchdailynews.com, Photo United Nude)

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October 24, 2012

Dance company’s pointe shoes ruined by mealworms

Filed under: Art,Weird by Orangemaster @ 7:00 am

About 150 of the 200 pointe shoes of the Introdans dance company in Arnhem have been chewed up by mealworms. The mealworms apparently got into the glue that holds the point part of the shoe together, which probably happened during a supplier’s shipment from somewhere like Russia, France, the UK or the US. Just a few mealworms can easily plague a whole lot of shoes.

A spokesperson for the dance company estimated the damage at 10,000 euro for which they are not insured. Apparently other Dutch dance companies are checking their shoes out now as well just in case.

(Links: www.gelderlander.nl, www.nu.nl, Photo of Ballet shoes by craiglea123, some rights reserved)

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September 18, 2012

Lady Gaga gets Dutch shoes for perfume campaign

Filed under: Fashion,Music by Orangemaster @ 3:16 pm

For Lady Gaga’s perfume launch ‘Fame’, Dutch shoe designers United Nude created a special shoe (not the one shown), inspired by the advertising campaign where the pop diva is featured as a naked colossus with an army of tiny, naked gold men figurines climbing her body.

Creative Director of United Nude Rem D. Koolhaas, (not to be confused with Rem Koolhaas, his cousin and internationally renown architect), said that “the shoes had to be as high as possible (30 cm). We went for climbing gold men, and yes they are nude, United Nude.”

Lady Gaga performed yesterday and is performing again today in Amsterdam at the Ziggodome.

(Link: www.highsnobette.com, Photo United Nude)

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March 14, 2012

Dutch shoe design goes around the world

Filed under: Fashion by Orangemaster @ 5:41 pm

New Dutch footwear brand Filling Pieces, founded by Guillaume Philibert (aka Guillaume Chin), a 22-year-old architectural student of Surinamese-Chinese origin, is taking off internationally in shops around the world, from Portugal to Australia.

Filling Pieces is billed as “filling the gap between haute couture shoes and street culture footwear”, selling in 11 different countries. Philibert claims his family and cultural background play an important role in coming up with new designs. They also have women’s shoes, and many of the styles are limited editions.

(Link: www.rnw.nl, Photo of Filling Pieces shoes by Valentin Le Cron, some rights reserved)

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