Harper’s Bazaar sent a cease-and-desist letter last week after a Fashion Week party was promoted using the magazine’s logo and billed as a “Harper’s Bazaar Cover Launch Party,” even though the U.S. title had no role in the event.
Invitations sent on Sept. 8 appeared to advertise a Harper’s Bazaar-hosted soiree timed with Fashion Week and promised a performance by dance-music veteran Crystal Waters. The invitation used the familiar Harper’s Bazaar masthead, but the cover being celebrated was for Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam — a separate licensed edition published in Vietnam by Sun Flower Media since 2011 — on which Waters appears.
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The party went ahead at Petite Disco and drew a crowd that included designer Christian Siriano, model Coco Rocha and nightlife figure Dianne Brill. DJs the Muses provided a set and Waters performed hits including “100% Pure Love” and “Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee),” according to attendees.
Organizers said word of the promotion reached executives at Hearst’s New York offices and that the company’s legal team asked that the Harper’s Bazaar name and logo no longer be used in connection with the event. Days after the letter was delivered, RSVP confirmation emails included a disclaimer that read in part: “Please note to avoid any confusion: This event is Crystal Waters’ party to celebrate. Harper’s Bazaar is not involved in the actual party.” Organizers subsequently removed any signage or explicit references to Harper’s Bazaar at the venue.
A representative for Waters described the matter as an apparent misunderstanding and said organizers moved quickly to comply with Hearst’s request. “The night was a NYFW celebration for Crystal Waters in honor of many things, including her Harper’s Vietnam cover,” the rep said. “There was an obvious misunderstanding of what the party was about and once the cease and desist was received, immediate action was taken to honor Hearst’s request to the best of our ability to let all invited guests, as well as social media, know that this wasn’t a sanctioned Harper’s Bazaar or Vietnam hosted/sponsored event.”
Some guests, however, said they were unclear about the party’s provenance. One publicist who attended said they would not have brought clients had they known the event was not affiliated with the U.S. Harper’s Bazaar. Several attendees told reporters they had assumed the invitation was issued by the New York title because of the use of its logo.
Waters, who performed for an enthusiastic crowd, said she enjoys singing “Gypsy Woman,” and that audiences typically respond strongly when she reaches the song. “Look at what happens when I sing it,” she said. “I do like a 30 minute show, but they wait for ‘Gypsy,’ and it comes on, everybody’s up, everybody’s up.”
Harper’s Bazaar has a long history of high-profile Fashion Week events; the U.S. title stages an annual black-tie Icons party that has featured major performers and A-list guests in past years. This year the magazine held a smaller event with Bvlgari at Wild Cherry, which included a guest list of cover stars and fashion figures.
Organizers of the Petite Disco event did not display Harper’s Bazaar branding after the letter, and attendees said the party continued without further reference to the U.S. title. Hearst and representatives for Harper’s Bazaar did not immediately provide a public comment beyond the legal notice to organizers.
The episode underscores the complexities that can arise when regional licensing and global brand identities overlap during high-profile industry events such as New York Fashion Week.