Balenciaga Goes To Court Over Bag

BALENCIAGA is suing accessories designer Steve Madden for a bag that it says bears a little too close a resemblance to one of its own. Madden's Btalia bag, which retails for under $90, is a "studied copy" of Balenciaga's Motorcycle bag, the label claims, and has several key features that are likely to cause confusion for consumers.

"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," The Fashion Law explains, are all features of the Motorcycle bag that when copied create a "false impression" for customers, Balenciaga claims.



The lawsuit - which came to light last week when it was filed at Manhattan's District Court - is not the first that the Paris-based house has launched against the American designer. The company, then helmed by Nicolas Ghesquiere but now overseen by Alexander Wang, filed a complaint against Madden for "intentionally copying" its multi-coloured Lego heels from the autumn/winter 2007 collection.