Gucci files complaint after Chinese company cons parents out of ₹44 lakh with fake kids' fashion shows
According to Xinmin Evening News, the Shanghai-based firm had been promoting events under the name 'Paris Kids Fashion Week' since 2020, falsely branding them as part of the globally recognised Paris Fashion Week. Their website featured images of iconic French landmarks like The Louvre to lend credibility to the events.
Also read: US visa officer in Hyderabad tests student with technical questions: 'I was surprised by the level'
The company conducted shows in major cities across China, as well as in Paris and Toronto. During one of the Shanghai editions, it held four shows under the names of luxury brands like Dior, Gucci, Burberry and Fendi, charging parents 6,000 yuan (about ₹72,500) for a single appearance. It also hosted parent-child segments, allowing guardians to walk the runway with their children.
The scam came to light after Gucci's Shanghai office filed a complaint, prompting an investigation by the Shanghai Market Regulatory Bureau in 2023.
Investigators found that the firm used Gucci's logos and also created fake variations with names like 'Gucc101' and 'Gucc100'. One staff member admitted that the company charged over 10,000 yuan (roughly ₹1.20 lakh) for each costume worn by a child.
However, not all the clothes were genuine. The owner, identified by his surname Huang, allegedly bought counterfeit outfits online. He claimed the clothes were only meant for photoshoots and were never sold.
Authorities stated that these actions violated trademark laws. The registration fees collected, totalling 367,000 yuan, were classified as illegal earnings, and the company was fined accordingly.
Also read: Jain temple to be built in Australia at a cost of $18 million with marble shipped from Rajasthan
A procurator in Shanghai said the firm had been fined by other regional market regulators in the past but continued its deceptive practices. Despite the crackdown, its social media accounts under 'Paris Fashion Week Kid's Unit' remain active.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
14 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Startup founders can't be Batman, Superman, Mandrake combined: Shivakumar
What's changed in the past five to 10 years is the advent of consumer technology (tech), and today, consumers are using more digital services than physical ones, says Shivakumar premium Surajeet Das Gupta New Delhi Listen to This Article His just-released book, The CEO Mindset, focuses on leadership qualities in a complex world. Shiv Shivakumar, operating partner at Boston-based $500 billion private equity (PE) major Advent International — who has straddled various companies from Hindustan Lever to Aditya Birla group — talks to Surajeet Das Gupta about management challenges and business models. Edited excerpts: What is your assessment of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on Corporate India? AI will take out aggregator jobs — for example, the executive who prepares the minutes of board meetings is gone. Most of these roles lie in middle and lower management, but
The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: U.N. tech chief
The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. Lack of AI policies or strategies "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the U.S. approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85% of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. Huge gap The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."
The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
New ground handling firm to be hired at Chennai airport as replacement for Turkish firm Celebi
Airports Authority of India (AAI) will bring on board a new ground handling firm in about three months at Chennai airport after the departure of the Turkish ground handling service provider Çelebi Airport Services Private Limited recently. Chennai airport currently has two firms—AI Airport Services Limited and Bird Airport Services—which airlines have been deploying for their numerous in ground handling needs like moving passenger baggage between terminal and aircraft, aircraft servicing and cleaning, support services in flight operations and maintenance among others. The company had bagged contracts for several airports like Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Kannur a few years back. In the city airport, the company managed a fairly significant volume of ground handling and the airlines including US Bangla, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Scoot and SpiceJet had opted for the services of Çelebi until the license was cancelled by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Revoking this company's license came when security concerns emerged following military strikes and tensions between India and Pakistan. In May, when the BCAS withdrew the license to this Turkish-based firm, AAI said, airlines using their services quickly chose to go with the two other firms without causing any inconvenience for passengers. Officials of AAI said, after the ban of Çelebi, they have now issued a Request for Proposal for ground handling services at Chennai airport. 'It is a mandatory requirement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that major airports must have three firms for ground handling support. This way, duopoly is avoided and in case of any crisis like what happened in May, there are always two firms available at an airport and the operations are not disturbed. If only one firm is available, then the firm may scramble for manpower and as a result, baggage delivery may be delayed, and passengers will be affected. Hence, it is ideal to have three firms,' an official said.
