Ruh roh. Jess is in trooouble! Fashion mogul and very expectant mother Jessica Simpson may have a lawsuit on her hands if Christian Louboutin finds out just how similar her Evangela heels are to his Staratata stilettos. The Cellar Paper blog first pointed out the extreme similarities, and now the Internet is wondering just what Jessica thought she was getting away with. You can't go ripping off other people's designs -- not to that extent, anyway. The shoes are pretty much identical.
The only difference is that Jess' heels retail for $98 and Louboutin's version originally went for $995. Ouch.
Here's the thing. I love Jessica Simpson's shoe line. I really, really do. It's like she gets me and my feet. There are platforms under the toes, which makes walking in stilettos so much easier, and her sexy designs never seem to compromise on comfort. I will sing their praises 'til the cows come home. So! As a consumer and a fan of her brand, I'm thrilled that I can buy a $1,000 shoe for $100 that has a high-fashion look for one tenth of the price.
But as someone who likes rules (is that a middle child thing?), I don't think ripping off Louboutin was cool. In fact, it was pretty uncool, and way harsh. The French shoe designer is already embattled with YSL over the red-sole trademark, but it doesn't stop there. People all over the world are trying to get the Louboutin look for less and have gone as far as creating (ingenious) red-sole stickers. Jessica and her company are just following suit, albeit an immoral suit, but they're following nevertheless.
A Jessica Simpson customer is very different from a Christian Louboutin customer, so it's possible that these two shoes can thrive in their separate worlds, despite being nearly identical. It's up to Louboutin to decide if this is something worth fighting over, but in the meantime, if you like Jess' version, snag 'em up while you can. Who knows when or if they'll be yanked from the shelves by the trademark lawyers.
Would you buy Jessica's knock-off Louboutin heels?
Photos via zappos.com and redbottomheels.com