Enzo Angiolini is a purse snatcher.
LVMH’s Celine is suing Enzo, a division of Jones Apparel Group, over its signature handbag, called the “Boogie Bag.”
In a suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, lawyers for Celine charge that Enzo Angiolini knocked off the design of its signature Boogie Bag, infringing on Celine’s trademark.
Judge Kimba Wood has issued a temporary restraining order, requiring the defendant to recall its handbags, known as the Jensen Collection, as well as all sales materials related to the Jensen bags.
A source close to Celine said the Enzo Angiolini bag was a copy of the Boogie Bag, “stitch by stitch.” However, the source added that the knock-off bag was made in China, not Italy, and of faux leather rather than leather or shearling.
Celine’s attorney, Theodore Max of Mintz, Levin, declined to comment. The attorney for Enzo Angiolini and the Jones Apparel Group, Robert Sherman of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, did not return calls for comment, nor did a spokesperson for the Jones Apparel Group.
The detailing of the Enzo bag was almost identical to the Celine bag, the source said, down to the little silver metal disk on the side of the bag. The only difference was that the name Enzo Angiolini was engraved on the disk, instead of Celine.
Another big difference between the bags is the price. The Celine bag costs between $530 and $1,050, while the Enzo Angiolini bag sells for under $100.
Celine’s Boogie Bag has received unprecedented attention from celebrities. Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank, Angie Harmon and Sarah Jessica Parker have all been photographed carrying the bag, named for the dance that took the world by storm post-World War II.
The media has also jumped on the Boogie bandwagon. Magazines like Us Weekly, People, InStyle and even the National Enquirer have featured the bag in editorial spreads, as have the usual fashion magazines.
The next step in this process is for the Celine lawyers to research what kind of damages they will be asking for. Sources close to the company declined to speculate on a dollar amount.
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Tale of the tape
Company: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton
HQ: Paris
Chairman’s rank on Forbes Richest People List in 2001: Bernard Arnault: No. 26
Market cap: $22.2 billion
Brands: Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Hennessy, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Kenzo
Bag: Celine Boogie Bag made in Italy of soft leather.
Price: $530 to $1,250
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Company: Jones Apparel Group
HQ: Bristol, Pa.
Chairman/Rank on Forbes Richest People List in 2001: Sidney Kimmel: No. 452
Market cap: $4.7 billion
Brands: Jones New York, Evan-Picone, Nine West, Bandolino, Norton McNaughton, Rena Rowan
Bag: Enzo Jensen Collection faux leather bag made in China.
Price: under $100