NEW YORK –
Two former school roommates who created a profitable clothes line underneath the “Rhode” trademark sued mannequin Hailey Bieber on Tuesday, saying she’s creating market confusion by advertising and marketing a skincare line underneath the Rhode title.
The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court docket requested a choose to quote trademark infringement and block Bieber from promoting or advertising and marketing any merchandise with the Rhode title. It additionally sought unspecified damages.
The lawsuit mentioned court docket intervention was obligatory as a result of Hailey Bieber is a star with over 45 million Instagram followers who launched her skincare line final week and has filed trademark functions to promote clothes.
Hailey Bieber is married to singer Justin Bieber, and the lawsuit mentioned her husband has promoted her enterprise to his 243 million Instagram followers, producing 1.5 million likes with one submit. Her lawyer did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
Based on the lawsuit, Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers are looking for to guard the enterprise they started in 2014 once they give up their day jobs to create a high-end clothes and niknaks line, concentrating on “female, assured and well-traveled girls.”
Since then, it mentioned, their merchandise have been featured in Vogue, carried in shops like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus worldwide and worn by celebrities together with Beyonce, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna. Gross sales are projected to hit $14.5 million this yr, the lawsuit mentioned.
On the day her product was launched, Hailey Bieber mentioned in a Forbes story that she’s had a “actually arduous time” with “a world of media that likes to perpetuate girls in opposition to girls,” the lawsuit mentioned.
“However the actuality is that the “world of media” Ms. Bieber describes is at her disposal. And she or he has chosen to make use of it to squash a lady and minority co-founded model that merely can not compete together with her immense fame and following,” the lawsuit mentioned.
When her product line was launched June 15, Hailey Bieber appeared on “Good Morning America” on ABC and “The Tonight Present” with Jimmy Fallon on NBC, the lawsuit famous.
The lawsuit mentioned confusion and hurt to the model began by Khaatau and Vickers is already widespread and it has solely taken days for some customers to consider that the 8-year-old firm is buying and selling off the title of the brand new competitor as an alternative of the reverse.