On her heels! Aquazzura made headlines in March for slamming Ivanka Trump’s shoe designs. Now the Italian label is taking action against what they claim are copycat designs.
According to TMZ, the brand filed a lawsuit against Trump, 34, specifically citing a tasseled shoe with fringe named Wild Thing. The heel retails for $785 and has been worn by many celebs, including Jamie Chung. The suit claims Ivanka Trump’s Hettie stiletto, which costs $145, is an exact replica of the popular style, down to the color, fringe and tassel-topped ankle straps.
The CFO of the brand isn’t sweating the accusation. “This is a baseless lawsuit aimed at generating publicity,” Matthew Burris, CFO for Marc Fisher, Trump’s licensing company, told TMZ in a statement. “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.”
While Aquazzura is aiming its anger at Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s daughter, Burris is correct in stating that she isn’t the only designer with a familiar-looking fringed shoe. Both Zara and Banana Republic have fringe-topped sandals with ankle straps for $70 and $148, respectively.
Three months prior, Aquazzura blasted Trump via Instagram. “One of the most disturbing things in the fashion industry is when someone blatantly steals your copyright designs and doesn’t care,” the brand wrote in an Instagram post in March, featuring the two shoes side by side. “You should know better. Shame on you @ivankatrump! Imitation is NOT the most sincere form of flattery…Proud of mine #madeinitaly #italiansdoitbetter.”
