Kendall Jenner Says $1.8 Million Suit by Italian Brand ‘without Merit’

Kendall Jenner. (AP)
Kendall Jenner. (AP)
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Kendall Jenner Says $1.8 Million Suit by Italian Brand ‘without Merit’

Kendall Jenner. (AP)
Kendall Jenner. (AP)

A representative of US top model Kendall Jenner fired back on Wednesday against a $1.8 million suit from Italian label Liu Jo, saying a claim that she had breached terms of a modelling contract was “without merit.”

At the center of the dispute is a fashion shoot that was delayed by the COVID-19 emergency, with the contemporary Italian fashion label alleging Jenner turned down proposals to reschedule it, according to a complaint filed by Liu Jo in the US District Court in Manhattan late on Monday.

The model has “continually offered Liu Jo alternative dates and locations to fulfill an agreement that was forced to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic,” a spokesperson from The Society Management, Jenner’s agent, said in an emailed statement.

“Jenner has willingly offered to complete services honoring her commitments,” the statement added.

Liu Jo is seeking at least $1.8 million in damages, according to the complaint.

Liu Jo, which the complaint says has already paid $1.35 million to Jenner for services covered by the 2019 contract, said Jenner only took part in the first of two planned photo shoots and obtained no response from Jenner after trying to re-schedule the second one multiple times.

The label said it learned that Jenner was taking part in a photo shoot for another fashion brand and offered to split the cost of her private flight but was turned down.



Burberry Shows Early Signs of Recovery as 1st Quarter Sales Fall Less than Expected

FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023.  REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
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Burberry Shows Early Signs of Recovery as 1st Quarter Sales Fall Less than Expected

FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023.  REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

Burberry's retail sales fell by a less-than-expected 1% in the first quarter, it reported on Friday, in early signs of a recovery for the British luxury brand struggling with underperformance.

Shares in Burberry, which have more than doubled since September, rose 5% in early London trade.

Known for its trench coats and check pattern scarves, Burberry is using its British heritage designs to try to win back customers under the leadership of CEO Josh Schulman, who took over a year ago.

Comparable sales returned to growth in Europe, the company said, while trading in the Americas strengthened. Sales fell in China and in the rest of Asia, but the rate of decline was around half the level seen in the previous quarter.

"The improvement in our first-quarter comparable sales, strength in our core categories, and uptick in brand desirability give us conviction in the path ahead," Schulman said, adding that the autumn collection was being "well received".

Burberry has issued several profit warnings in recent years, and as part of its turnaround drive since Schulman took over, it plans to cut a fifth of its global workforce, a radical cost-cutting measure that investors have welcomed.

The 1% drop in overall comparable retail sales in the first quarter, which ended on June 28, beat analysts' forecasts for a 3% decline in a consensus provided by the company, and improved on a 6% fall in the previous quarter.

According to Reuters, analysts at Citi said the brand had reported its third consecutive quarter of like-for-like improvement since Schulman launched its new strategy last November, implying comparable sales could turn positive in the current quarter.

"In a quarter marked by further macro and geopolitical pressures and weaker tourist spending in Europe and Japan, Burberry has likely held up better than peers quarter-on-quarter," they said.