Gaseous orange gonad and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has a reputation for being a man designers hate to work for, which goes a long way toward explaining those hats. Meanwhile, his daughter, Ivanka Trump, is making headlines in the design world in a different way: by allegedly ripping off hideous footwear designs from another company.
USA Today reports that Italian luxury footwear maker Aquazzura is suing Ivanka Trump's fashion and footwear line for stealing the design to the Wild Thing, an inexplicably popular $785 sandal worn by the likes of Solange Knowles and Olivia Palermo. Trump's shoe, meanwhile, is called the Hettie, and undersells the Wild Thing by almost $650.
The profile of both shoes is spaghetti-strand minimalist, suggesting a Twizzler red G-string that has just been picked out of someone's buttcrack. Same for the tassels near the heel strap and toe, which look like glued-on pasties.
Regardless, this isn't the only Aquazzura shoe Trump has allegedly ripped off. Aquazzura also claims that their Forever Marilyn and Belgravia shoes have been copied by Ivanka Trump's footwear collection. They want an injunction against Trump preventing her from selling the shoe, as well as a cut of the profits, damages, and legal fees.
Trump's attorneys claim the charges are groundless. "This is a baseless lawsuit aimed at generating publicity,"USA Today quotes Matthew Burris, chief financial officer of Marc Fisher and partner to the Ivanka Trump brand, as saying. "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."
And why not? If there's anything that the Trump family's lawyers are practiced at, it's loud protestations of innocence.