A Boutique Is Suing Ivanka Trump’s Label for ‘Unfair Competition’
Ivanka Trump may have publicly disassociated herself from her clothing and accessories label by announcing a formal leave of absence in January — but some retailers feel the label is still profiting from her name and influence.
Now a San Francisco-based fashion company, Modern Appealing Clothing, is suing the Ivanka Trump label over “unfair competition.”
In the lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Thursday, the 40-year-old brand alleges the Trump clothing and accessories label has gained an unfair advantage “from Donald J. Trump being the President of the United States and from Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared, working for the President of the United States.” Yahoo Style has reached out to the Trump brand for comment and will update with any response.
The company also accuses the brand of profiting off of its association to the White House, as well as the unlawful marketing practices of government officials, including the counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, and even President Trump himself.
Modern Appealing Clothing says the label is guilty of “exploiting the power and prestige of the White House for personal gain, including, but not limited to, piggy-backing promotion of defendant Ivanka Trump products on appearances at executive branch and other governmental events.”
The lawsuit cites President Trump’s tweet slamming Nordstrom for dropping the Ivanka Trump label as an example of unlawful promotion.
My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2017
Kellyanne Conway’s highly controversial act of endorsing Ivanka Trump’s products on Fox & Friends in early February is also described in the lawsuit as unfair promotional activity.
After the incident, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during his daily briefing that Conway had “been counseled on that subject, and that’s it.” The suit also claims Spicer has used his position to endorse the Ivanka Trump label.
Modern Appealing Clothing argues that the brand fails “to take appropriate steps to avoid exploiting public office for private gain,” which will help the company to continue to increase its sales.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an order preventing the Ivanka Trump brand from being sold in California.
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