California-based fast-fashion brand Fashion Nova is being sued by luxury Italian fashion house Versace for knocking off three of the label’s styles — including the iconic green jungle print dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the 2000s Grammys.
Versace filed the lawsuit in New York federal court on Monday, November 25, claiming that the replicas infringed on copyrights and trademarks. According to the lawsuit, “Fashion Nova’s Infringing Apparel is plainly a deliberate effort to exploit the popularity and renown of Versace’s signature designs and to trade on Versace’s valuable goodwill and business reputation. Versace seeks to bring an end to Fashion Nova’s latest brazen attempt at copying the work of yet another famous and world-renowned designer.”
Fashion Nova launched a line of celebrity-inspired Halloween costumes and shared the news with the brand’s Instagram followers on Monday, September 19. Among the offerings was the aforementioned J. Lo dress. Named after the singer’s hit song, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” the controversial replica was listed on the retailer’s website $69.99. In comparison, Lopez’s gown reportedly retailed for $15,000 in 2000.
Besides Lopez’s world-famous dress, Versace claims that Fashion Nova also copied the label’s Baracco and Pop Heart designs. When placed side by side, the replicas strongly resemble the fashion house’s offerings.
The court documented stated, “Fashion Nova’s ability to churn out new clothing so quickly is due in large part to its willingness to copy the copyrighted designs, trademarks and trade dress elements of well-known designers like Versace and trade on their creative efforts in order to bolster Fashion Nova’s bottom line.”
This isn’t the first time the fast-fashion brand’s been called out — or sued — for copyright infringement. After Kim Kardashian wore a vintage Mugler dress to the Hollywood Beauty Awards on February 17, the brand produced a replica of the sexy outfit just one day later.
When Kardashian discovered the knockoff, she took to her Instagram Story to say, “It’s devastating to see these fashion companies rip off designs that have taken the blood, sweat and tears or true designers who have put their all into their own original idea.”
She continued, “So, as always, don’t believe everything you read and see online. I don’t have any relationships with these sites. I’m not leaking my looks to anyone, and I don’t support what these companies are doing.”
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