Luella Bartley Heads to Marc by Marc Jacobs; Dov Charney Likens Bangladesh Factory Disasters to 9-11

Luella Bartley Heads to Marc by Marc: Marc by Marc Jacobs is set for a total rehaul. The once-cultish secondary line in the Marc Jacobs stable, which in the last few years has taken a stodgy dive (in both quality and design), has hired English cool-kid designers Katie Hillier as creative director, and Luella Bartley as women’s design director. Both are known for their quirky fare of mix-matched prints and asymmetrical frills, and share a similar rebellious outlook on cute—all qualities that will play well within the Marc by Marc Jacobs ethos. Bartley, most notably, helped lead the way for London Fashion Week’s increasing importance with a private fashion label (which abruptly shuttered in 2009 after a 10-year run) that consistently received rave reviews. She and Hillier worked together on a line of handbags, which were considered ‘It Bags’ during the early aughties’ purse craze. Marc Jacobs will remain the label’s ‘boss’, according to company president and Jacobs’s business partner Robert Duffy. “He’s as involved as he wants to be. It depends on the season,” Duffy told WWD of Jacobs’s involvement in the diffusion label, the responsibilities of which he can likely no longer fulfill wholeheartedly with the continued expansion of his namesake luxury label, as well as his job as creative director at Louis Vuitton. Bartley and Hillier’s first collection of work will debut for fall 2014. [WWD]

Dov Charney on Bangladesh: In a lengthy podcast interview with Vice, American Apparel CEO Dov Charney speaks about fair working conditions and the recent string of factory catastrophes in Bangladesh, which he likened to 9-11. While the embattled fashion executive does not possess the best reputation when it comes to the treatment of women (see the slate of sexual harassment lawsuits from former employees), he has been repeatedly lauded for American Apparel’s use of fair wages and made-in-America ethics—a stark contrast from the conditions found in Bangladesh. Of the 1,100 factory deaths in Bangladesh, Charney says “I mean only 3000 people got hit in the World Trade Center and we talk about it every day in the United states…this is a September 11th, I think, for the apparel industry and for the working people…” [Vice]

Andrej Pejic Gets Nekked: Gender-bending male model Andrej Pejic has posed almost butt-naked in the new issue of Vogue Brasil. Pejic, who is known for modeling both men’s and women’s clothing in campaigns, magazine editorials, and in runway shows, appears essentially in the buff, save for a conveniently-placed hand in front of his genitals. [The Front Row View]

Jockey’s New Bras: Jockey, one of America’s choice utilitarian underwear outfitters, has invented a range of plastic cup bras that boast a whole new sizing standard—stepping away from the age-old number and letter equation known to most women. The new range, currently only available for online purchase, requires women to purchase a $20 sizing kit, which not only measures their bust size, but also their bust shape—addressing the unique shape of each woman’s breasts. The bras, only available in black, nude, and white, cost a premium price of $60. [NYT]