. . . And Now X Is Marking the Lawsuit

The widow of the late Malcolm X has filed suit in federal court over the alleged unauthorized use of his name and image on hats, T-shirts, and other clothing. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Las Vegas, a week after the items were displayed at a major clothing convention in Los Angeles. Malcolm X hats have become one of the industry’s biggest sellers. The lawsuit names more than a dozen defendants that it wants stopped from making and selling unauthorized apparel. It also asks that any profits made so far be given to Betty Shabazz, the widow of Malcolm X. Shabazz, and Curtis Management Group, which has an agreement with her to license the rights to Malcolm X’s name and image. Attorney Mark Tratos said the lawsuit was filed in Las Vegas because of favorable state laws and the fact that the clothing, including jackets, T-shirts and hats, was on display in Los Angeles.

* REVOLUTIONARY LINE: Hezbollah, the militant Islamic faction best known for its involvement in Lebanon’s civil war and the kidnaping of Western hostages, has gone into the fashion business. Geraldine Brooks reports in the New Republic that Hezbollah’s fashion enterprise is headquartered in the basement of Beirut’s Great Prophet Mosque. The Party of God’s offerings include a “hot-selling” line of children’s clothes in bright colors and a women’s line in “muted browns, grays and dull greens.”

Regarding the women’s colors, the factory’s manager told Brooks, “Part of the philosophy of Islamic dress is for a woman to project an aura of calm and tranquillity.”

* CANCEL MY CATALOGUE: Workers at L.L. Bean, the Freeport, Me., mail-order store that specializes in outdoor equipment and clothing (much of it waterproof), may wish they could spend this winter in a duck blind. The retailer, which celebrated its 80th birthday this week, expects strong protests regarding Republican Linda Lorraine Bean, granddaughter of the company’s founder and a member of the board. She is campaigning against abortion, gay rights and gun control. By filming a television ad in one of the company’s factories, candidate Bean prompted several hundred phone calls to the retailer, including some from customers asking to be removed from the catalogue mailing list. “Some people are using that as an expression of their political opinion,” Bean company spokeswoman Catherine Hartnett said Wednesday. Hartnett said complaining customers are told the company does not endorse candidates or become involved in political campaigns.