The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
NEW YORK, United States — Ivanka Trump is trying to get out of answering questions in a lawsuit claiming her company ripped off the shoe designs of a rival.
Aquazzura Italia SRL claims Marc Fisher Holdings LLC, which partnered with the president's daughter to launch her shoe brand in 2011, copied its "Wild Thing" shoe in designing the Ivanka Trump "Hettie" model. Aquazzura sued Trump, her company IT Collection LLC and Marc Fisher Holdings in 2016.
Ivanka Trump’s lawyer argued on Tuesday that she has no relevant knowledge about the design, sale or marketing of the shoes sold under her name. Aquazzura’s lawyer disagreed, but said he believed that Trump might argue she is too busy and important to sit for a deposition.
US District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan said she will rule next week on whether Ivanka Trump must answer the lawyers’ questions under oath. The judge said she hopes the parties can find a way to limit the questioning by taking testimony from another top executive at her company first.
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"I think there’s no doubt that Ms. Trump has a second job right now," Forrest told the lawyers.
The case is Aquazzura Italia SRL v. Trump, 16-cv-04782, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
By Bob Van Voris; editors: David Glovin, Joe Schneider and Paul Cox.
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