Graffiti Artists Paint Fashion Brand as Scofflaw

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Italian fashion brand Roberto Cavalli, as well as retailers Amazon.com, Nordstrom and Zappos.com, are headed to court to face off against some unlikely opponents: a group of L.A. graffiti artists.

A federal judge this month dismissed the retailers’ motion to dismiss the case brought against them by artists Jason Williams, Victor Chapa and Jeffrey Rubin, who go by the street names of Revok, Reyes and Steel, respectively.

The artists are accusing the fashion brand of plagiarizing a large mural they were commissioned to create in San Francisco’s Mission District. They allege Cavalli used the mural’s image on clothes and accessories last year for its Just Cavalli “Graffiti” collection.

They sued Cavalli in August but have been adding retailers to the suit, including Amazon, Nordstrom and, most recently, Neiman Marcus.

U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte Jr. has allowed the case to proceed after ruling that use of the mural could constitute copyright and trademark infringement as well as false designation of origin.

In their complaint, the artists claim that the collection clearly shows the work of Chapa but rearranged the stylized signatures of Williams and Rubin in an effort to mask the alleged plagiarism.

The images are apparently used in nearly 50 products, including men and women’s clothing, accessories, shoes and luggage.

Cavalli has denied the claims in a recent statement saying the artists’ allegations “have no basis in fact and are incorrect.”

The artists are asking for a jury trial, unspecified damages and a permanent injunction against Cavalli and the other defendants.

Life’s a Beach

Beachy Cream in Santa Monica is churning up even more of its organic ice cream as the company is set to open up a production and distribution center in Long Beach next month.

Beachy Cream is in talks with major distributors such as DPI Specialty Foods and Nature’s Best. The new factory will help with the company’s plans to expand nationally, said Ann Ryan, the ice creamery’s founder and president.

“Our focus at this point is really on our wholesale business,” she said. “It’s our goal to make this a national brand.”

The company’s products are already carried in 55 stores, including Whole Foods and Gelson’s locations. Ryan, who started the business in her Malibu kitchen, said Beachy Cream needs the new space to ramp up production so it can get into more stores.

“Since May 2012, we’ve been doing all the production out of our Santa Monica store,” she said. “Most people can’t believe we can do what we do in that tiny space.”

The new factory space will be about 13,000 square feet and Ryan expects to hire about 75 employees. The company initially looked at opening a facility closer to its Santa Monica headquarters, but Ryan said Long Beach fit with the company’s beachy feel. Also, the Long Beach facility came with some needed infrastructure built in, making it cheaper for Beachy Cream to build it out.

“For a small company like ours that doesn’t have a lot of capital to spend on improvements, it was remarkable to find a place that was big enough and had existing infrastructure that would lower our build-out costs,” she said.

Revolving Doors

Beverly Hills Drink Co., maker of high-end bottled water brand Beverly Hills 9OH2O, announced last week that it’s expanding the luxury water into the Middle East this summer through a distribution agreement with Dubai-based VKOB Beverages. … InterContinental Los Angeles in Century City announced last week a complete renovation of its guestrooms and suites with new room types and modern design. The project is set to be completed next year. … Pieology Pizzeria of Rancho Santa Margarita opened locations in Culver City and Westlake Village last week. … Pasadena-based gourmet hot-dog concept Dog Haus opened its fifth franchise location, in Thousand Oaks, last week. … Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills opened its first salon, Le Salon, last month, partnering with celebrity salon stylist Angela Kalinowski. … Fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 in Los Angeles opened its fifth New York store last month, a more than 36,000-square-foot space spread across four floors. … Europe-based trampoline gym Jumping Fitness, Joy and Vitality opened its first U.S. location, in Redondo Beach, last month. … Nordstrom Inc. will open a 34,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack store in Cerritos this fall. … Rock & Brews of El Segundo will be opening a restaurant at Terminal 1 at Los Angeles International Airport in the fourth quarter.

At Your Service

Real estate development company Caruso Affiliated in L.A.’s Fairfax District promoted Kloe Colacarro to head of leasing last month. Colacarro previously served as general manager of Caruso’s Grove shopping center. … Suzanne Lerner, co-founder and executive vice president of retailer Michael Stars of Hawthorne, has been named president of the company.

Staff reporter Subrina Hudson can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 251.

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