Balenciaga Sues Steve Madden For Alledged Copied Handbag

THE ORIGINAL BAG: Balenciaga Velo Bag available for $1835

Balenciaga Sues Madden -Balenciaga and Steve Madden battling it out after the French label filed a lawsuit stating that Steve Madden has violated a trade dress regulation, reports the Daily Mail. “The Defendant’s wholesale copying of Balenciaga’s designs is likely to deceive consumers into believing that the infringing [handbag] is associated with or authorized by Balenciaga when it is, in fact, not,” reads court documents that were filed at Manhattan’s District Court just last week.

THE ALLEGED COPY: Steve Madden Btalia bag on sale for $88

The handbag under scrutiny seems likely to be Steve Madden’s Btalia bag, which is available for $88 at Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, and does have some similarities to Balenciaga’s Motorcycle bag. Balenciaga states that “The flat pouch with a zippered rectangular closure, a zipper pull consisting of a strip centrally-knotted and hanging in two equal lengths, and a semi elliptical patch outfitted with two raised studs in each corner; and two identical patches in an elongated pentagonal shape, featuring an elongated hexagonal patch outfitted with a buckle and two raised studs,” are all characteristics of the Motorcycle bag that when copied gives a “false impression” for consumers.

fashionvent.com