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Federal Court grants 'solicitor's eyes only' order in fashion brand trademark infringement suit. Order covers confidential commercial data Jul 24, 2026 / Share In a proceeding alleging trademark infringement against Aritzia Inc. and Aritzia LP, the Federal Court issued a "solicitor's eyes only" (SEO) order over product-level confidential information dubbed Aritzia's "special sauce" by the company's senior vice president and corporate controller. Northern Reflections Ltd. v. Aritzia Inc., 2026 CanLII 71256 (FC), arose from Northern Reflections Ltd.'s claim that Aritzia infringed its registered trademark for EFFORTLESS, in association with pants and shorts, by selling pants and shorts branded as "EFFORTLESS" or "THE EFFORTLESS PANT". Aritzia moved for a protective order over some documents and information that the parties would exchange during the discovery phase. The parties agreed to the issuance of such an order. However, a dispute arose regarding Aritzia's request for an SEO designation, which would prevent Northern Reflections from accessing certain confidential information produced by Aritzia if Aritzia believed in good faith that the information: * contained "sales, marketing, financial or other commercially sensitive information or proprietary information not otherwise known or available to the public..." * had commercial value to Northern Reflections * could harm Aritzia if available to Northern Reflections SEO order granted. The Federal Court ruled that Aritzia met the test for the grant of a protective order with an SEO designation. Regarding the first part of the test in AB Hassle v. Canada (Minister of National Health and Welfare), 1998 CanLII 8942 (FCTTD), the court found that Aritzia protected the sensitive information's confidentiality at all relevant times and by various mechanisms. Regarding the second component of the AB Hassle test, the court determined that this case involved "unusual circumstances" warranting an SEO order. The court added that the SEO order's built-in mechanisms would mitigate any concerns about the order's impact on solicitor-client relations. The court explained that counsel could challenge the designation of information if they deemed it necessary to disclose certain documents to their clients. Whether parties were competitors. The Federal Court left it to the trial judge in the underlying trademark infringement action to determine on a final basis the factual issue of whether the parties were competitors. However, the court said the following findings, based on the limited record, favoured issuing an SEO order: * The parties operated in the same industry * Northern Reflections claimed to be Aritzia's competitor in this litigation * Northern Reflections was at least an aspiring or would-be competitor Sensitivity and value of information. The Federal Court's decision recognized the highly sensitive nature of the information that would be subject to the SEO order - specifically, product-level data on sales and product costs, manufacturing costs, and gross profit margins for 33 products in Aritzia's EFFORTLESS product line. The court acknowledged that the product-level confidential information would have substantial value to Northern Reflections and other would-be competitors within the highly competitive women's fashion industry. On the balance of probabilities, the court saw a real and substantial threat that giving access to the valuable commercial information could enable a potential competitor like Northern Reflections to copy Aritzia's costing and sales structures, thus seriously harming Aritzia's market share and financial position. The court added that granting access to the commercial data could enable Northern Reflections' management team members, some of whom supported or served in roles at other women's fashion brands or companies under the same ownership, to unwittingly and unintentionally misuse the information in future business matters. Costs order. Pursuant to the parties' request, the Federal Court awarded Aritzia, as the successful party on the motion, $5,500 in lump sum costs, plus reasonable disbursements. The Canadian Legal Newswire is a FREE newsletter that keeps you up to date on news and analysis about the Canadian legal scene, providing targeted news and information of interest to Canadian Lawyers. Please enter your email address below to subscribe. The Canadian Legal Newswire is a FREE newsletter that keeps you up to date on news and analysis about the Canadian legal scene, providing targeted news and information of interest to Canadian Lawyers. Please enter your email address below to subscribe.

Fashion brand Aritzia launches partnership with The Juilliard School. The partnership features Juilliard students showcasing items from the brand's new Back to School collection Fashion brand Aritzia has launched a collaborative partnership with The Juilliard School, presenting Juilliard students across the school's various disciplines modeling items from Aritzia's 2026 Back to School collection. Among the students who were photographed with their instruments include pianist Dovie Lepore-Currin, jazz bassist Allison Lee, and violist Shania Watts, who also studies Historical Performance. The project also included students in drama and dance, showcasing Aritzia wear in studio and rehearsal spaces. "Whether it's complex and rich or simple and poetic - you're searching for harmony," Aritzia shares on its website about the collection. "Experiment with subtle plaid and a soft button-up. Or set an ambient mood with cool-toned argyle and charcoal grey. Whatever the performance asks for." "Aritzia + The Juilliard School just launched - welcome back to campus. Showcasing @juilliardschool students doing what they do best, in what we do best," Aritzia adds on Instagram. "This season, we're celebrating our new partnership with The Juilliard School, a world leader in performing arts education. Through this ongoing initiative, we aim to support the next generation of artists and their mission to cultivate excellence, and drive impact through service in the arts." More information about the new collection can be found here.

New Aritzia store coming to Edison's Menlo Park Mall. Advance Local Express Desk Thu, July 23, 2026 at 9:01 AM PDT Menlo Park Mall will add a new retailer when Aritzia opens its doors in spring 2027, the Simon Property Group announced. The Vancouver-based design house will occupy space on the mall's lower level off center court, across from Zara. The location will feature personalized styling services and an in-store café. Aritzia specializes in what it calls "Everyday Luxury," offering elevated essentials through its portfolio of exclusive brands. The company focuses on quality materials and sustainable design with consideration for environmental and social impact. Currently, Aritzia has a store in New Jersey at the Mall at Short Hills. The addition represents another upscale tenant for Menlo Park Mall, which markets itself as a premium shopping destination in Central Jersey. Mall officials said the new store will help attract additional high-end retailers. Menlo Park Mall is located at 55 Parsonage Road in Edison. Simon is a real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations. More New Jersey news. Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.