S.D. Footwear Brand Sues Two Companies for Knocking Off Its Designs
Christian Louboutin isn’t the only shoemaker suing
other companies for copying its work. Here in S.D., Chula Vista-based
Old Gringo is suing both Lucky Brand and Pecos Bill, saying the labels
knocked off its cowboy boots, as WWD first reported.
The Lucky lawsuit happened earlier this year and involved Old Gringo’s
bestselling women’s Marsha boot that has been on the market for six
years, Old Gringo president Ernie Tarut tells The Feast. “We used to
sell more and more and more every year, then suddenly sales in Europe
went from thousands to zero,” Tarut says. “We go to court [this] week to
try to settle.”
The Marsha boot and the Coral boot by Liz Claiborne-owned Lucky Brand
both feature pink flowers with curling stems embroidered all over the
shoes. Both can currently be found on Amazon; Lucky’s boot (synthetic sole; made in China) for a reduced $74 price tag and Old Gringo’s
(all leather save for the embroidery and handmade in Mexico) for
$429.95. It’s the art specifically that Tarut says has been copied. “I
hire artists to draw up original artwork on a palette and on specific
instructions. Whoever goes after my artwork, we will bring them to San
Diego federal court.”
That’s no empty threat; in late August, Old Gringo filed suit again,
this time against bootmaker Pecos Bill, which the S.D. company says
copied its Grace, Milagros and Taka Stud boots. And it all went down at
one of fashion’s biggest tradeshows.
“I was at Magic [four] weeks ago, and two booths down he had copied
three of my styles,” Tarut says. “I went over and said, ‘You’ve got my
artwork copied, I’ll need to contact my lawyer,’ and he said, ‘Don’t
worry about it, I’ll remove [the boots].’ The next day the styles were
still there — they hadn’t done anything, and he told me, ‘Get out of
here.’ So we drew up papers and served him at the show.”
Tarut says it isn’t about the dollars. “All I want to do is stop the
process,” he says. “I don’t do it to win money. I don’t mind competition
— I’m just trying to protect the integrity of the work we do.”
Pecos Bill was unavailable for comment, and Lucky Brands did not respond by deadline.
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