Fashion's Dirty Laundry

Victoria's Secret

Plunging necklines aren't the only thing that's risqué.

In 2008, a Long Island woman launched a copyright infringement suit against the lingerie maker, claiming that Victoria's Secret ripped off her designs for a bra that could be worn more than 100 ways.

More recently, women in several states claimed that Victoria’s Secret bras gave them hives, rashes and other skin problems. In the spring of 2009, a group of lawyers announced that they were looking to consolidate the cases into a class-action suit saying that the company misrepresented the safety of their products.

Keep reading about the raw deals and sheer theft.

Next: Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren

For the all-American brand, an ultra-skinny model wasn't thin enough.

The blogosphere was all abuzz about a Ralph Lauren ad that first showed up online on the blog, Photoshop Disasters and later, BoingBoing. The ad depicted a ridiculously thin model in Ralph Lauren jeans and a sleeveless shirt, and was circulated with a comment from one blogger who said, “Dude, her head is bigger than her pelvis.”

Ralph Lauren immediately threatened to sue BoingBoing for posting the ad and commentary, a move that only prompted more media coverage. Since then Ralph Lauren has apologized for its use of the ad and manipulating the photograph.

Get the skinny on Ralph Lauren's Olympic uniform controversy.

Next: Forever 21

Forever 21

As the knock-off company's stores grow in size and number, so do the company’s legal woes.

A favorite with pre-teen shoppers, Forever 21 has been sued more than 50 times for copyright infringement. But its their labor tactics that are even more atrocious: the company was handed a judgment by a California court which says, yes, they are responsible for the working conditions at the factories (read "sweatshops?") they hire as sub-contractors.

Learn more about Forever 21's pilfering past.

Next: Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch

Suiting up for lawsuits.

The preppy clothes maker is not stranger to scandal. In the past, it has seen sexual harassment and racial discrimination suits filed against them.

Last year, they gained more unfavorable attention for discriminating against a disabled employee. The case involved a London woman with one prosthetic arm. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the employee was asked by a company manager if it would be possible “to keep you in the stockroom until the winter uniform arrives.” (The winter uniform had long sleeves.) She then received a letter saying she had been “erroneously placed on the shop floor.” The employee, a law student who worked at the store part-time, won her suit for wrongful dismissal against the U.S. clothing retailer this summer.

See why former employees sued the shirts off A&F's back.

Next: American Apparel

American Apparel

Finding new ways to offend people.

Where to start? The company has had multiple sexual harassment claims, recently settled with Woody Allen (for $5 million) for using the image of Allen as a Rabbi on a billboard without permission, and is currently handing out pink slips for the illegal immigrants it employs in its downtown L.A. factory.

Learn more about the shocking ads and legal woes that keep American Apparel's lawyers busy.

Next: Diane Von Furstenberg

Diane Von Furstenberg

Even iconic labels occasionally suffer a faux pas.

Diane von Furstenberg, the company not the woman, just settled with Canadian design firm Mercy for copying a jacket (and the original was better). That is a bit of an embarassment for Von Furstenberg (the woman), who is president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and has been pushing for patents for years, with some success. Congress is considering legislation that would extend the definition of intellectual property to the benefit of designers.

Unwrap the full story.

Next: Chanel

Chanel

The label's reputation isn't stain-proof.

Though the story has gone largely unnoticed in North America, Chanel is currently in the middle of a three-year-old lawsuit with World Tricot, a small, women-owned, refugee-employing knitwear company in France. Carmen Colle, World Tricot owner, says Chanel ripped off a floral motif that her daughter designed and sent to the Chanel headquarters. The case is still in court.

The Chanel name was also associated with an unsavory history earlier this year with the release of Coco Before Chanel, a film starring Audrey Tatou. As the press pointed out at the time of the movie’s release, the movie left out the details about Coco’s anti-Semitic prejudices and her romantic connection to a high-ranking Nazi officer during France’s occupation.

For a whiff of Chanel's past, read more.