Weekend Fashion News Alert: Rihanna Launches Fashion Label, Marc Jacobs Partners with Disney, Michael Kors Reveals Fall Ad Campaign Images, and Congress Introduces Bill to End Animal Cosmetic Testing

Rihanna may have briefly stepped away from the music industry to delve headfirst into a new career as a fashion designer. The pop sensation’s company, Roraj Trade, LLC, filed a trademark for the name, $CHOOL KILLS last month in New York.

According to Grazia, $CHOOL KIlLS will be an accessories line that will later expand into clothing. In past seasons Rihanna has been named the creative director of Puma, collaborated with River Island on a collection shown during London Fashion Week and received the Fashion Icon Award in 2014 at the CFDA Awards.

Marc and Disney

Marc Jacobs partners with Disney in a new line of accessories inspired by Disney’s new “Alice Through the Looking Glass” film starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway. The film is scheduled for a release in May 2016.

The accessory collection will include backpacks totes, phone cases, jewelry, watches, sweatshirts, and other fairy tale-like gear. Prices will range from $60 to $400 with Marc Jacobs Alice in Wonderland–inspired window displays in select stores.

This all is occurring as Jacobs is integrated his Marc by Marc Jacobs line into his namesake Marc Jacobs main line with Resort 2016 being the last collection under the Marc by Marc Jacobs label.

Kors day to night

Michael Kors, American sportswear designer extraordinaire, has revealed campaign images from Michael Kors Collection and MICHAEL Michael Kors fall 2015 campaigns featuring Natasha Poly, Karmen Pedaru, and Benjamin Eidem. The overall theme of the fall 2015 campaigns is restrained opulence and decadence, photographed by Mario Testino.

Kors was inspired by the idea of luxury styles that can be worn in the daytime as well as at night. The campaign will appear in the biggest fashion stores of 39 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, as well as on social media networks, starting in July.

Animal rights

The U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a bill that puts an end on cosmetic testing of animals. The Humane Cosmetic Act, if passed, will put an end to animal testing of cosmetic products and ingredients.

Currently, there is no prohibition of cosmetic testing in the US of animals. Though 73% of Americans in a recent poll felt that the testing of cosmetic products and ingredients on animals should be banned, thousands of animals like mice, rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs suffer and die due to product tests that require substances to be forced down their throats, dripped into their eyes, and smeared onto their skin.

“Given the ready availability of alternatives, there is no compelling reason to continue using outdated animal testing methods that cause tremendous animal suffering. So many companies are already using non-animal tests for shampoos, makeups and other products sold around the world, and the United States can help accelerate that trend,” states Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States in a recent fashionmag.com article.

The Humane Cosmetic Act is endorsed by The HSUS and HSLF, spearheading the #BeCrueltyFree campaign in the US, and Humane Society International leading the campaign globally. Lush, Coty, The Body Shop, Overstock, Paul Mitchell, and over 140 cosmetics companies also support this initiative.

—Staff