Fashion

Nike's stocks going up ever so slightly -- which just so happened on the heels of the Betsy Ross controversy -- has absolutely nothing to do with Colin Kaepernick ... so says Ted Cruz.

The Texas senator shut down any notion that Kap sent Nike's market value soaring in the wake of the footwear company yanking its planned Betsy Ross shoe at the ex-QB's behest, because he says there's a much simpler explanation ... a booming economy. 

There's no way of knowing for sure what effect, if any, Kap's involvement might've had -- but we do know anytime his name gets brought up next to the Swoosh ... they do well. 

As far as what Ted makes of the whole situation, he elaborates on what he tweeted this weekend ... when he said he wouldn't buy anymore of the only tennis shoe he's ever owned.

Check it out ... doesn't sound like Teddy's ready to start burning his Nikes quite yet, but he does bemoan the fact the great American company has become politicized .... and in a direction opposite his own views.

Barstool Sports is being sued over its most iconic image -- Sad Roger -- with the guys who allegedly created the shot of Roger Goodell with a clown nose claiming Barstool has been using it without permission. 

The guys behind the suit are Jake Bernier, Kenneth LeMarier and Joseph Bernier ... who claim they created Sad Roger and licensed it to Barstool for a "one-time use in 2015."

The image became the face of Barstool's war against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when he went after Tom Brady for allegedly deflating footballs during the 2014 NFL season. 

The image was a hit with Stoolies -- many of whom rocked Sad Roger towels at the Patriots 2017 home opener. Sports Illustrated reported Barstool spent $140,000 to give away 70,000 towels that day. 

Barstool has been using the image on shirts, posters and even Christmas ornaments. In fact, New Orleans Saints' head coach, Sean Payton, appeared to wear a Sad Roger shirt after the Saints lost in the NFC championship over a blown non-pass interference call. 

Barstool is still selling the men's shirt under the title, "Clown Tee" for $29.95. 

In their lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in New York, the alleged creators claim Barstool never got permission to use the image after that one-time usage license in 2015 ... and  they're pissed. 

The guys claim they're entitled to $150,000 for every time Barstool infringed on their copyright -- though they haven't specified exactly how much money they want from the suit. 

We reached out to Barstool for comment -- so far, no word back. 

Kim Kardashian West's solution for that Kimono PR nightmare is just that ... Solutionwear. That's the new name for her line of slimming undies.

Kim made the announcement Monday morning but the name isn't all that new, legally speaking. According to docs obtained by TMZ, Kim's company -- Kimono Intimates -- had trademarked Solutionwear back in April. The name was approved for publication last week. 

The new branding is for Kim's shapewear line and other products including lingerie, breast shapers, nightgowns and more.

You'll recall Kim was accused of cultural appropriation for trademarking the word associated with traditional Japanese garments. But, Kim never intended to produce the traditional Japanese Kimono garments.

As we reported ... her Kimono name only applied to her business. The shapewear line -- a collection created to include women of all shapes, sizes and skin complexions -- had been super hyped up before this controversy slowed down the roll out.

Colin Kaepernick isn't just an athlete with a platform -- "he's the spokesperson for the black culture" ... so says rapper Trinidad James. 

After Kaepernick reached out to Nike with concerns about their Betsy Ross Flag shoe, Trinidad says the culture immediately got behind Colin because they trust him as a leader. 

Trinidad -- the guy behind the hit "All Gold Everything" -- essentially explains why he believes Kaepernick's activism comes from a good place ... and that's why so many people are on board with his movement. 

As we previously reported, Nike felt Kap had a point with his objection to the Betsy Ross shoe (he claimed the 13-star flag has been co-opted by white nationalist groups) and pulled the kicks from stores. 

Several politicians have now gotten involved -- with people like Ted Cruz calling for a Nike boycott.

The heat Nike is taking over the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick and the Betsy Ross Flag Shoe is having another effect ... enhancing the brand's appeal to investors. 

Nike shares are surging in the wake of the company's decision to recall its special Betsy Ross Flag Air Max 1 USA sneakers after Kaepernick complained the 13-star flag design was offensive because it's been co-opted by several white nationalist groups. 

Since Nike pulled the plug on the sneakers following Kaepernick's objections earlier this week, Nike shares have seen a 2 percent increase since Tuesday, adding nearly $3 BILLION to the shoe giant's market value. 

Friday afternoon, trading Nike shares were up slightly to $86.62 and the company's market value is now $136.38 billion.

The stock surge looks a lot like what Kevin O'Leary predicted a few days ago ... the "Shark Tank" investor told us Nike is taking advantage of the controversy with a firestorm of free marketing. 

From Super Bowls to comfy soles ... NFL star Kam Chancellor is launching his own shoe collection ... and his goal is to make stylish shoes that don't destroy your feet!

The 4-time Pro Bowler just retired from the league due to injuries ... so now he's taking his talents to the fashion game with the launch of his line, The Chancellor Collection, with his wife, Tiffany.

TMZ Sports spoke with Chancellor about his decision to come out with his own shoe ... and he says it's all because he was sick of his feet hurting all the time.

"I had a closet full of designer shoes and they weren't comfortable, so my feet suffered," Chancellor says. "That pushed me to start my own shoe line to create some cool looking shoes, but also comfortable shoes and also affordable shoes. That's what pushed me down that road."

Chancellor says he's making shoes for both men and women and he's targeting the $115 price range. 

The 31-year-old says he was very hands-on with the design of the shoes ... and was part of the process the entire way.

Kevin O’Leary firmly believes Nike fully manufactured the controversy surrounding the Betsy Ross Flag shoe and Colin Kaepernick ... and he says it's brilliant.

We got the "Shark Tank" investor leaving the "Squawk Box" show Wednesday morning in NYC and had to ask him about the heat Nike's catching for recalling its special Betsy Ross Flag Air Max 1 USA sneakers.

Kevin says that while Nike made a mistake getting the Betsy Ross flag involved to begin with ... the shoe giant knew exactly what it was doing when it yanked the shoes -- creating a firestorm of free marketing. 

As you know, Kap felt the 13-star flag design prominently featured on the heel was offensive because it's been co-opted by several white nationalist groups. Nike felt Colin made a valid point and pulled the plug on the shoes. 

Kim Kardashian just scored a huge legal victory -- in the millions -- in her war with a company she says uses her face, body and name to sell knockoff dresses.

Kim's been awarded $2.7 million in damages and another $60k in attorneys' fees from Missguided USA. Kim had sued the company back in February.

In the ruling, the judge said, "Missguided has repeatedly used Kardashian's name and likeness without permission on its social media platforms to promote the sale of its clothing."

The court points out Missguided's website has entire pages dedicated to selling and knocking off dresses inspired by Kim. The real offense is they're using photos of Kim to make it seem to consumers she's associated with the brand. 

Kim basically won by forfeit. Missguided USA never responded to her lawsuit, so the court awarded Kim a default judgment. 

Hundreds of fans SWARMED the streets of New York on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of soccer superstar Paul Pogba ... nearly trapping his car in the process -- and the video is insane!!!

The 26-year-old Manchester United superstar was in town to do an autograph signing at the Adidas store ... where he posed for pics and chopped it up with fans all afternoon. They loved it!

But, when it was time to leave ... man ... things got WILD in the streets! 

Tons of fans came out from everywhere with their cell phones up in a crazed effort to get a shot of the French superstar ... ya gotta watch the video. 

At one point, it looked like a scene from "The Walking Dead" and it seemed Pogba's SUV was blocked in from the fans -- but the driver somehow found an opening and hit the gas. 

Pogba is reportedly in the middle of some drama with Man U -- he wants to leave for Real Madrid ... and there's some serious friction with Paul and his Man U bosses. 

They're especially pissed (according to reports) that Pogba's still hanging out in the U.S. while training is going down back in the UK. 

Paul doesn't seem to care though ... looks like he's having more fun here. 

Here's a lesson in supply and demand ... 

After Nike recalled their special Betsy Ross Flag Air Max 1 USA sneakers, DEMAND EXPLODED ... with several leaked pairs selling for more than $2,000!!! 

The shoes were originally supposed to be released on June 29 with a $120 price tag -- but after Colin Kaepernick reached out to Nike to express concerns with the design, the Swoosh ordered retailers to pull the kicks and send them back to headquarters. 

The move almost immediately caused the shoe value to skyrocket with collectors because they essentially became a limited edition shoe ... with very few pairs getting through to consumers. 

We checked out the website StockX -- a super popular streetwear auction site -- and one pair of the Betsy Ross kicks sold for $2,501 ... a Size 8. 

A pair of Size 10.5s and a pair of Size 9s sold for $2,000 each. Another 10.5 sold for $1,750. A few pairs of Size 10s have sold in the $1,200 range.  

Another seller claims they have a pair of Size 10s and they're asking $6,974 -- but who knows if they'll actually get it.  

Before the news about Colin Kaepernick's involvement went public, the shoes had been reselling in the $250 range ... but the news about CK caused a massive shift and they're still on fire. 

As we previously reported, Colin went to Nike with concerns about the Betsy Ross 13-star design on the shoes ... a design that's recently been co-opted by several white nationalist groups. 

Nike ultimately felt Colin's point was valid and issued a recall. It's unclear exactly how many pairs slipped through and got to the public. 

Colin Kaepernick apparently has a lot of influence over Nike ... because the quarterback-turned-activist convinced Nike to nix plans to sell a flag-themed sneaker Kap considered offensive. 

The sneaker giant was set to put a new colorway of its popular Air Max 1 sneaker on the market this week, featuring an old U.S. flag with 13 stars from the American Revolution ... but according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Nike pulled the shoe before it went on sale because Kaepernick complained. 

Nike even sent the sneakers to retailers, but then the company asked to have the merchandise back. 

Kaepernick, who is endorsed by Nike, reportedly reached out to The Swoosh with huge concerns after images of the shoe with the Betsy Ross flag started being posted online ... he thinks the imagery is offensive because of its connection to slavery.

We're told Kap also took issue with the fact that two prominent white nationalist groups -- including the Patriot movement -- use the flag as a symbol for their group. 

Kap was not alone in his criticism, tons of users on social media reacted to the imagery with similar concerns. 

The OG Betsy Ross flag was created back in 1792, and its 13 white stars represent the 13 original colonies. 

NBA fashion god Kelly Oubre Jr. is turning his swag into a money making machine ... and he tells TMZ Sports one of his dream collabs is none other than Fear of God creator Jerry Lorenzo!!!

Wave Papi has been turning heads with his threads since entering the league in 2015 ... and even took part in his first Paris Fashion Week event over the weekend ... making headlines in the process. 

Now, he's in the process of launching his own line -- Dope Soul -- so, we had to ask who he'd love to work with in the fashion game ... and dude's aiming for the hottest names in the game.

Not only is the 23-year-old baller trying to work with his guy, Lorenzo ... he also name-drops Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton.

We also asked Oubre about his "shawl" look during the Pigalle Paris event ... and he explains the inspo behind the 'fit.

Kim Kardashian West has no plans to produce traditional Japanese Kimono garments -- and certainly hasn't put a lock on the product name, which has been used in business for years.

Kardashian launched her Kimono shapewear line earlier this week ... a collection Kim created to include women of all shapes, sizes and skin complexions. The brand came under heavy fire from those saying Kim was inappropriate in using the Kimono name ... a type of Japanese garment.

We did some digging and discovered Kim isn't the only one to use the garment name in business -- there's Komono Sunglasses, Kimono Lash, Kimono Restaurant and Kimono Condoms -- just to name a few.

Our sources say Kim has no intentions of ever producing the Japanese garment, and her trademark of the Kimono name only applies to her business ... as is standard practice. She's also trademarked Kimoji, KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance in the past ... all brands incorporate her first name to some degree.

Jordyn Woods ain't playing the crying game after being excommunicated by the Kardashians -- it's the opposite actually ... despite what her new fashion brand might suggest.

Kylie's former BFF launched a new clothing line Tuesday in partnership with online retailer BooHoo. Seems she's the face of the line ... at least that's what we get after watching the video she posted of herself rockin' some of its gear ... all the while flaunting her curves for the cam.

It's interesting ... the BooHoo line looks similar to stuff the Kardashians have worn and sold from their own fashion empire. Seems Jordyn's ripped a page right out of their biz book and is keeping it going for herself ... how 'bout that?!

There's also this -- Kim K suggested on the latest 'KUWTK' episode that Jordyn's only been able to provide for her own family through what Kylie has "given" her with respect to jobs and other opportunities.

NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns was looking to make a fashion statement on Rodeo Drive on Monday ... so he busted out a Colin Kaepernick jersey!

The 7'0" center for the Minnesota Timberwolves was doing some shopping in Beverly Hills (he had a giant Louis Vuitton bag in his hand), where our photog spotted the giant #7 jersey walking down the street.

"Kap's the man," the 23-year-old told us.

It's not the first time Towns has used fashion -- football jerseys in particular -- to make a statement on social issues ... remember, he rocked a "Free Meek Mill" jersey to the Super Bowl back in 2018.

Oh, and also ... FUN QUESTION!!! We also asked Karl -- who's MASSIVELY TALL -- if he has to get all of his clothes custom made or if he can ever buy a suit off the rack.

Amanda Bynes has graduated from a prominent fashion school in Los Angeles -- and she appears to be doing great after recently re-entering a mental health facility.

The former Nickelodeon star shared a photo of herself Monday in a cap and gown next to a fellow graduating pal, captioning the post ... "FIDM graduate 2019 #fidmgraduation." Amanda's got her hair pretty long right now, and it's dyed blonde and pink.

The ceremony was attended by 12,000 people and went down Monday night at Staples Center in L.A., where Amanda walked across the stage with an Associate's degree in fashion design. Eyewitnesses tell us Amanda seemed ecstatic -- she was getting tons of love from her teachers and peers.

We're also told Amanda came off a bit awkward at times during the graduation, but clearly had it together enough to pose for some selfies with her classmates.

The happy news comes months after Amanda rechecked herself into a facility in January. As we first told you ... her going back for treatment was a result of a backslide from being back in the spotlight after her Paper magazine cover story.

Amanda opened up a lot in the feature, revealing that starring role in 2006's "She's the Man" sent her into a spiral of depression. She also blamed a lot of her issues on drug use. At the time of the article -- November 2018 -- Amanda said she was 4 years sober.

Amanda was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has been under a conservatorship for the past 5 years, but the problems began several years earlier.

As far as FIDM goes ... Amanda's been enrolled since 2014, and has been attending on-and-off. She took a break last year to get back into acting, but it appears Amanda's been pounding the pavement fashion-wise since getting right again.