Harper’s Bazaar’s U.S. office sent a cease-and-desist letter to New York party organizers after invitations for a Fashion Week “Harper’s Bazaar Cover Launch Party” used the magazine’s logo while the event was in fact celebrating Crystal Waters’s appearance on Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam.
The invitation, dated Sept. 8, promised a performance by dance-music artist Crystal Waters and carried the familiar Harper’s Bazaar masthead, and the event drew designers and models including Christian Siriano and Coco Rocha. The party was held at Petite Disco during New York Fashion Week.
Hearst executives determined the branding suggested an affiliation with the U.S. Harper’s Bazaar that did not exist and instructed organizers to stop using the logo and name. Organizers subsequently added a disclaimer to RSVP confirmation emails stating: “Please note to avoid any confusion: This event is Crystal Waters’ party to celebrate. Harper’s Bazaar is not involved in the actual party.” The event went forward without any Harper’s Bazaar signage or on-site branding.
Organizers said the celebration was tied to Waters’s cover of Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam, a licensed edition published by Sun Flower Media in Vietnam since 2011. Waters’s representative told Page Six the night was a New York Fashion Week celebration for the singer, honoring ‘‘many things, including her Harper’s Vietnam cover,’’ and described the use of the U.S. magazine’s logo as an ‘‘obvious misunderstanding.’'
Some attendees expressed frustration at the apparent misrepresentation. “Had I known it was not a Harper’s Bazaar party, I would not have brought any of my clients,” a publicist who attended the event said.
The party featured a DJ set by the duo the Muses and live performances of Waters’s hits, including “Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee),” which she said remains a crowd favorite. Dianne Brill, whom Andy Warhol dubbed “The Queen of the Night,” was also among the guests.
Harper’s Bazaar, part of Hearst, has staged high-profile parties tied to its annual Icons issue and other cover launches, often featuring prominent performers and celebrity attendees. The U.S. magazine’s events have included concerts and black-tie galas that attract major names in fashion and entertainment; Hearst’s legal team has acted in other instances to protect the publication’s branding and trademarks.
Organizers said they moved quickly after receiving Hearst’s letter to clarify the event’s sponsorship for invitees and on social media. Waters’s representative characterized the exchange as an effort to ‘‘honor Hearst’s request to the best of our ability’’ and insisted the celebration itself was intended to honor Waters’s career and her Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam cover.
The matter underscores the complications that can arise when international licensed editions and local promoters stage events in global fashion hubs during high-profile calendar weeks. Hearst declined to comment beyond the legal notice, and event organizers did not provide additional documents related to the cease-and-desist beyond the posted RSVP clarification.