Ivanka Trump was sued this week by Italian company Aquazzura, which charged that one of her sandals is a knock off of one of its most popular shoes.
According to Vanity Fair, Aquazzura claims in its complaint in a Manhattan federal court that Trump's sandal, the Hettie, rips off its Wild Thing design. The sandals, both sold in cherry red, look remarkably alike, but Aquazzura's version goes for $785 and Trump's for $145, noted the magazine.
"Seeking the same success Aquazzura experienced but without having to put in the hard creative work, defendants resorted to knocking off plaintiff's popular designs," Aquazzura stated in the lawsuit.
"Defendants have copied nearly every detail of plaintiff's well-known and coveted Wild Thing shoe, from the shape and silhouette to the fringe covering the toes, to the tassel on the heel," the lawsuit continued.
Matthew Burris, chief financial officer of Marc Fisher, Trump's licensing company, fired back in a statement Wednesday. He said that the Italian shoemaker was trying to drum up publicity with the lawsuit,
according to TMZ, because Ivanka Trump is the daughter of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
"This is a baseless lawsuit aimed at generating publicity," Burris stated. "The shoe in question is representative of a trending fashion style, is not subject to intellectual property law protection and there are similar styles made by several major brands. The lawsuit is without merit and we will vigorously defend ourselves against the claim."
The lawsuit comes on the heels of some 20,000 of Trump's Beach Wave and Brushstroke Oblong scarves being recalled by licensing partner GBG Accessories Group in April. The products did not meet the federal flammability standards for clothing textiles,
wrote the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The commission stated that consumers should immediately stop using the scarves, which were made in China, and return them for a refund.
"We're disappointed to learn of the need for Global Brands Group, our license partner, to recall two styles of Ivanka Trump scarves, but we are relieved that immediate action is being taken," an Ivanka Trump collection representative said in a statement in April,
noted The Washington Post.
"We're committed to providing our audience of millennial working women with accessibly priced, quality products that suit their needs and look great. We're seeing to it that this issue is fixed immediately," the statement continued.
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