Gucci lost the case against the wonderful Japanese fashion culture

Gucci A court case has been filed against Japanese brand Kugel, which has a logo that appears to be a luxury brand on its t-shirts. However, it is not a fake but a parody, the court said. The entire court case speaks volumes about Japan’s unusual fashion culture.

Challenging luxury brands

Japanese fashion startup Cuggl specializes in luxury brands with t-shirts boldly emblazoned with the labels’ logos. For example, the name Cuggl seems to bear little resemblance to Gucci until the bottom half of the name is strategically invisible on the shirts. The same goes for the patented GUANFI, which suddenly looks suspiciously like Chanel.

However, the Japanese Patent Office now rules that Gucci has no reason to oppose Cuggl, because consumers are smarter than that and no real confusion is possible. So the startup has “no malicious intent to abuse goodwill and reputation,” Gucci argued, according to The Financial Times.

Cuggl also hosts other popular brands, from Puma to Prada, and therefore fits right in with Japan’s idiosyncratic fashion culture. In a country full of contrasts, many creative clothing brands and subcultures challenge the established fashion world with humor and creativity. With Retail List Retailer to Tokyo, you can discover the inspiring retail and trends there.