NEW YORK (Reuters) - Even if they can't afford the real thing, many American women still strive for that designer look and have no problem buying knockoffs, or cheaper copies, according to a new survey released on Tuesday.
Three-quarters of women questioned in the poll admitted that they had knowingly purchased a counterfeit designer fashion item, and many said they had as many as five fake dresses, handbags, wallets, jewelry or pairs of shoes.
More than half bought knockoffs because they couldn't afford the designer label, while 37 percent wanted to impress their friends or family. But nine percent simply couldn't tell the difference.
'As demand for designer fashion and accessories has increased, so has the demand for knock off designer goods,' said Mark Pearson, the chairman of the website CouponCodes4u.com, which conducted the poll.
'While it may be satisfying for those consumers who can afford to purchase designer goods outright, many Americans are turning to knock off pieces to fit in, without the expensive price tag,' he added in a statement.
Handbags and wallets were the most popular items, with about a third of the 2,105 women questioned in the poll saying they had purchased them.
Nearly a quarter had bought a fake designer dress, and roughly 20 percent purchased knockoff jewelry or shoes.
Despite their appeal, Pearson said the quality of the fake items may not be as good, and added it is also illegal.
(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Owner of Mandee, Annie Sez stores files for bankruptcy
(Reuters) - The owner of the 129 Mandee, Annie Sez and Afaze women's clothing stores filed for bankruptcy after Superstorm Sandy cut into the New Jersey-based company's sales and derailed its turnaround.
The company, Big M Inc, which caters to young women with its Mandee stores, was forced to close many locations for a week after Sandy cut through the New York City metropolitan area on October 29.
The company also placed blame for its bankruptcy filing on its insurer for not promptly paying its claims related to the storm, according to court documents.
New York and New Jersey are still recovering from one of the costliest U.S. storms and paying for the massive clean-up has become a hot-button political issue.
Big M launched a restructuring in 2011 of its operations, which have been hit by the sluggish U.S. economy. The company had closed approximately 27 stores, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newark, New Jersey.
To finance its bankruptcy, the company will ask for court approval to borrow up to $13.2 million from Salus Capital Partners.
Big M was founded by Leon, Max and Bernard Mandelbaum after their return from World War II. The company remains a family business.
The company anticipates gross revenues for the year to January 26 of approximately $192 million, according to court documents. It listed both assets and liabilities of between $50 million and $100 million in court records.
It employs 1,200 full-time and part-time employees.
The case is Big M Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey, No. 13-10233
(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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The company, Big M Inc, which caters to young women with its Mandee stores, was forced to close many locations for a week after Sandy cut through the New York City metropolitan area on October 29.
The company also placed blame for its bankruptcy filing on its insurer for not promptly paying its claims related to the storm, according to court documents.
New York and New Jersey are still recovering from one of the costliest U.S. storms and paying for the massive clean-up has become a hot-button political issue.
Big M launched a restructuring in 2011 of its operations, which have been hit by the sluggish U.S. economy. The company had closed approximately 27 stores, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newark, New Jersey.
To finance its bankruptcy, the company will ask for court approval to borrow up to $13.2 million from Salus Capital Partners.
Big M was founded by Leon, Max and Bernard Mandelbaum after their return from World War II. The company remains a family business.
The company anticipates gross revenues for the year to January 26 of approximately $192 million, according to court documents. It listed both assets and liabilities of between $50 million and $100 million in court records.
It employs 1,200 full-time and part-time employees.
The case is Big M Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey, No. 13-10233
(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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Missoni family hopes missing fashion boss still alive
MILAN/LOS ROQUES, Venezuela (Reuters) - The family of missing Italian fashion boss Vittorio Missoni said on Monday they still believed he was alive, three days after his plane disappeared off the coast of Venezuela.
The small twin-engine aircraft carrying Missoni, 58, his wife Maurizia Castiglioni, another couple and two Venezuelan crew members went missing on Friday after taking off from the island resort of Los Roques.
'We are full of hope and confidence for the work that the authorities have done so far. We will not give up,' Missoni's sister Angela wrote in an emailed statement to the media.
'We believe Vittorio, Maurizia, Elda and Guido are still alive!' Angela also wrote on Twitter. 'Please help us find them and bring them back home.'
Missoni, a sports lover known for his informal looks and charming smile, is the oldest son of the founders of the fashion house famous for its exuberantly coloured knits featuring bold stripes and zigzags.
He is the firm's co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela, who handle the technical and design sides of the firm.
Luca Missoni, who is also a pilot, was flying over the area to help with the rescue effort together with Alberto Piantoni, chief executive of the fashion house, Angela said.
Venezuelan rescue divers were searching the aircraft's last determined location, while searches also continue on the ground.
Captain Raul Rivas, Coast Guard Commander in Los Roques, said the son of a jewelry designer and owner of an international hotel chain was also believed to be on board alongside Missoni, his wife and their friends Elda Scalvenzi and Guido Foresti.
The pilot of a Cessna 402 that took off a minute after the Britten Norman BN2 carrying Missoni said he saw the plane as it disappeared into a cloud.
'I saw them right in front of me as they were swallowed up by a huge cumulus cloud,' pilot Enrique Rada told Turin daily La Stampa in an interview published on Monday. 'It was a lightning bolt. It must have been a lightning bolt.'
However Rivas said the weather conditions were favorable when the aircraft disappeared.
'The sun was good at that moment and the atmospheric conditions couldn't have been a determining factor if the aircraft had a problem,' the captain said.
The company said it would go ahead with a Milan fashion show on January 13 but the family may not attend. Family-owned Missoni posted sales of 70 million euros ($91 million) in 2011.
($1 = 0.7666 euros)
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark and Antonella Ciancio in Milan; Additional reporting by Javier Andres Rojas in Los Roques and Andrew Cawthorne in Caracas; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)
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The small twin-engine aircraft carrying Missoni, 58, his wife Maurizia Castiglioni, another couple and two Venezuelan crew members went missing on Friday after taking off from the island resort of Los Roques.
'We are full of hope and confidence for the work that the authorities have done so far. We will not give up,' Missoni's sister Angela wrote in an emailed statement to the media.
'We believe Vittorio, Maurizia, Elda and Guido are still alive!' Angela also wrote on Twitter. 'Please help us find them and bring them back home.'
Missoni, a sports lover known for his informal looks and charming smile, is the oldest son of the founders of the fashion house famous for its exuberantly coloured knits featuring bold stripes and zigzags.
He is the firm's co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela, who handle the technical and design sides of the firm.
Luca Missoni, who is also a pilot, was flying over the area to help with the rescue effort together with Alberto Piantoni, chief executive of the fashion house, Angela said.
Venezuelan rescue divers were searching the aircraft's last determined location, while searches also continue on the ground.
Captain Raul Rivas, Coast Guard Commander in Los Roques, said the son of a jewelry designer and owner of an international hotel chain was also believed to be on board alongside Missoni, his wife and their friends Elda Scalvenzi and Guido Foresti.
The pilot of a Cessna 402 that took off a minute after the Britten Norman BN2 carrying Missoni said he saw the plane as it disappeared into a cloud.
'I saw them right in front of me as they were swallowed up by a huge cumulus cloud,' pilot Enrique Rada told Turin daily La Stampa in an interview published on Monday. 'It was a lightning bolt. It must have been a lightning bolt.'
However Rivas said the weather conditions were favorable when the aircraft disappeared.
'The sun was good at that moment and the atmospheric conditions couldn't have been a determining factor if the aircraft had a problem,' the captain said.
The company said it would go ahead with a Milan fashion show on January 13 but the family may not attend. Family-owned Missoni posted sales of 70 million euros ($91 million) in 2011.
($1 = 0.7666 euros)
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark and Antonella Ciancio in Milan; Additional reporting by Javier Andres Rojas in Los Roques and Andrew Cawthorne in Caracas; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
Missoni family hold hope missing fashion boss still alive
MILAN (Reuters) - The family of Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni said on Monday they still believed he was alive, three days after his plane disappeared off the coast of Venezuela, and begged rescuers to find him.
The small twin-engine plane carrying Missoni, 58, his wife Maurizia Castiglioni, another couple and two Venezuelan crew members went missing on Friday after taking off from the resort of Los Roques, an archipelago off the coast of Venezuela.
'We believe Vittorio, Maurizia, Elda and Guido are still alive!' Missoni's sister Angela wrote on Twitter. 'Please help us find them and bring them back home.'
Italy's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on how the search for the missing plane was progressing.
Italian media have suggested Missoni, his wife and their friends Elda Scalvenzi and Guido Foresti may have been kidnapped.
The pilot of a Cessna 402 that took off exactly one minute after the Britten Norman BN2 carrying Missoni said he saw the plane disappear.
'I saw them right in front of me as they were swallowed up by a huge cumulus cloud,' pilot Enrique Rada told Turin daily La Stampa in an interview published on Monday. 'It was a lightning bolt. It must have been a lightning bolt.'
Rada told La Stampa he was contacted by the control tower advising him of the plane's disappearance shortly after he saw it enter the cloud. He said he tried to make radio contact with the plane's pilot, German Marchan, but could not do so.
Missoni is the oldest son of the founders of the fashion house famous for its exuberantly colored knits, featuring bold stripes and zigzags. He is co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela, who handle the technical and design sides of the firm.
A decision about whether Missoni will go ahead with its Milan fashion show January 13 during the upcoming menswear collections January 12-15 may be made today and will be made public as soon as possible, a Missoni spokeswoman said on Monday.
The fashion house posted sales of 70 million euros ($91 million) in 2011, making it one of Italy's smaller fashion houses. Gianni Versace, for example, had revenue of 340 million euros in 2011, and Giorgio Armani had 1.8 billion euros.
($1 = 0.7666 euros)
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark; Editing by Pravin Char)
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
The small twin-engine plane carrying Missoni, 58, his wife Maurizia Castiglioni, another couple and two Venezuelan crew members went missing on Friday after taking off from the resort of Los Roques, an archipelago off the coast of Venezuela.
'We believe Vittorio, Maurizia, Elda and Guido are still alive!' Missoni's sister Angela wrote on Twitter. 'Please help us find them and bring them back home.'
Italy's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on how the search for the missing plane was progressing.
Italian media have suggested Missoni, his wife and their friends Elda Scalvenzi and Guido Foresti may have been kidnapped.
The pilot of a Cessna 402 that took off exactly one minute after the Britten Norman BN2 carrying Missoni said he saw the plane disappear.
'I saw them right in front of me as they were swallowed up by a huge cumulus cloud,' pilot Enrique Rada told Turin daily La Stampa in an interview published on Monday. 'It was a lightning bolt. It must have been a lightning bolt.'
Rada told La Stampa he was contacted by the control tower advising him of the plane's disappearance shortly after he saw it enter the cloud. He said he tried to make radio contact with the plane's pilot, German Marchan, but could not do so.
Missoni is the oldest son of the founders of the fashion house famous for its exuberantly colored knits, featuring bold stripes and zigzags. He is co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela, who handle the technical and design sides of the firm.
A decision about whether Missoni will go ahead with its Milan fashion show January 13 during the upcoming menswear collections January 12-15 may be made today and will be made public as soon as possible, a Missoni spokeswoman said on Monday.
The fashion house posted sales of 70 million euros ($91 million) in 2011, making it one of Italy's smaller fashion houses. Gianni Versace, for example, had revenue of 340 million euros in 2011, and Giorgio Armani had 1.8 billion euros.
($1 = 0.7666 euros)
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark; Editing by Pravin Char)
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Venezuela searches for fashion boss Missoni's plane
CARACAS/MILAN (Reuters) - Venezuelan emergency services mounted a sea and air rescue mission on Saturday after a plane carrying fashion executive Vittorio Missoni went missing off the coast of Venezuela.
The plane carrying Missoni, 58, his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, another couple and two Venezuelan crew members disappeared after taking off from the resort of Los Roques, an archipelago off the coast of Venezuela, Italian media said.
'It disappeared yesterday. They have been looking for it with helicopters and ships, but have not found anything yet. They are still searching for it this morning,' the Italian consul in Venezuela, Giovanni Davoli, told Reuters by phone.
Missoni is the oldest son of the founders of the fashion house famous for its exuberantly coloured knits, featuring bold stripes and zigzags. He is co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela, who handle the technical and design sides of the firm.
'The Missoni family has been informed by the Venezuelan consulate that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing, but we don't know any more,' said Missoni spokeswoman Maddalena Aspes.
Other members of the Missoni family are travelling back to Italy from a holiday in France, Aspes said.
Missoni and his siblings took over managing the company from their parents Ottavio and Rosita in 1996, aiming to relaunch the brand to a larger, younger market as rivals Gucci and Burberry have done. Under Vittorio's tenure, Missoni has opened hotels in Edinburgh and Kuwait and launched the Missoni Home collection.
By 2011, the brand's appeal was wide enough for U.S. mass-market retailer Target to ask it to design a collection.
The brand will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year.
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark and Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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The plane carrying Missoni, 58, his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, another couple and two Venezuelan crew members disappeared after taking off from the resort of Los Roques, an archipelago off the coast of Venezuela, Italian media said.
'It disappeared yesterday. They have been looking for it with helicopters and ships, but have not found anything yet. They are still searching for it this morning,' the Italian consul in Venezuela, Giovanni Davoli, told Reuters by phone.
Missoni is the oldest son of the founders of the fashion house famous for its exuberantly coloured knits, featuring bold stripes and zigzags. He is co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela, who handle the technical and design sides of the firm.
'The Missoni family has been informed by the Venezuelan consulate that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing, but we don't know any more,' said Missoni spokeswoman Maddalena Aspes.
Other members of the Missoni family are travelling back to Italy from a holiday in France, Aspes said.
Missoni and his siblings took over managing the company from their parents Ottavio and Rosita in 1996, aiming to relaunch the brand to a larger, younger market as rivals Gucci and Burberry have done. Under Vittorio's tenure, Missoni has opened hotels in Edinburgh and Kuwait and launched the Missoni Home collection.
By 2011, the brand's appeal was wide enough for U.S. mass-market retailer Target to ask it to design a collection.
The brand will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year.
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark and Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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Italian designer Missoni aboard plane missing near Venezuela
MILAN (Reuters) - Italian fashion designer Vittorio Missoni, head of the eponymous fashion house, was aboard a small plane that has disappeared off the coast of Venezuela, a company spokeswoman said on Saturday.
'The Missoni family has been informed by the Venezuelan consulate that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing, but we don't know any more,' said Maddalena Aspes. 'The authorities will resume their search for the plane in the morning.'
Italian media reported that the plane went missing on Friday morning after takeoff from the resort of Los Roques, an archipelago off the coast of Venezuela. Also reported to have been aboard the Britten Norman NB2 twin-engine plane with Missoni, 58, and his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, were another couple and two Venezuelan crew members.
Missoni is the son of the founders of the family-owned fashion house famous for its exuberantly colored knits, featuring bold stripes and zigzags. Vittorio is co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela.
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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'The Missoni family has been informed by the Venezuelan consulate that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing, but we don't know any more,' said Maddalena Aspes. 'The authorities will resume their search for the plane in the morning.'
Italian media reported that the plane went missing on Friday morning after takeoff from the resort of Los Roques, an archipelago off the coast of Venezuela. Also reported to have been aboard the Britten Norman NB2 twin-engine plane with Missoni, 58, and his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, were another couple and two Venezuelan crew members.
Missoni is the son of the founders of the family-owned fashion house famous for its exuberantly colored knits, featuring bold stripes and zigzags. Vittorio is co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela.
(Reporting by Jennifer Clark; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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Friday, January 4, 2013
Model Naomi Campbell mugged in Paris in November
PARIS (Reuters) - British supermodel Naomi Campbell was mugged by two assailants who tried to steal her handbag in Paris in late November, the prosecutor's office and police said on Friday.
Campbell lodged a complaint with police after being attacked by two men on motorbikes in the capital's trendy Marais neighborhood.
The men attempted to steal Campbell's bag from inside the car she was in on the evening of November 21, a police source said.
'There was an attempted robbery with violence,' an official at the prosecutor's office said.
U.S. media reported that Campbell had suffered a knee injury in the attack and could require surgery.
A spokesman for Campbell declined to comment and Paris police could not give details of any injuries, saying Campbell had declined an offer to be examined by doctors at the police station.
The incident occurred a short distance from a bar where fashion designer John Galliano made headlines in early 2011 by making an anti-Semitic outburst at fellow drinkers.
Campbell, 42, has been convicted herself of assaults on her staff and on police officers and was ordered by one judge to attend anger management classes.
(Reporting by Lucien Libert; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Michael Roddy)
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Campbell lodged a complaint with police after being attacked by two men on motorbikes in the capital's trendy Marais neighborhood.
The men attempted to steal Campbell's bag from inside the car she was in on the evening of November 21, a police source said.
'There was an attempted robbery with violence,' an official at the prosecutor's office said.
U.S. media reported that Campbell had suffered a knee injury in the attack and could require surgery.
A spokesman for Campbell declined to comment and Paris police could not give details of any injuries, saying Campbell had declined an offer to be examined by doctors at the police station.
The incident occurred a short distance from a bar where fashion designer John Galliano made headlines in early 2011 by making an anti-Semitic outburst at fellow drinkers.
Campbell, 42, has been convicted herself of assaults on her staff and on police officers and was ordered by one judge to attend anger management classes.
(Reporting by Lucien Libert; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Michael Roddy)
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