Versace and Fashion Nova Settle Lawsuit Over J.Lo "Jungle Print" Dress
The brands reached an agreement just days before the case was scheduled to go to trial.
Versace and Fashion Nova have settled a lawsuit filed by the Italian house in 2019 that accuses the fast fashion giant of copyright and trademark infringement. According to The Fashion Law, the two entities agreed to put the issue to rest just days before the case was scheduled to go to trial.
The battle began in November 2019, when Versace asserted that Fashion Nova stole several copyrighted prints including Gianni Versace’s famed “Barocco” and “Greca” graphics. Versace also took issue with a Fashion Nova dress that appeared to take several design cues from a key archival piece: the “Jungle Print” dress that Jennifer Lopez wore to the Grammys in 2000. Fashion Nova’s take on the garment features several design elements similar to the original, pushing Versace to claim that the retailer “manufactured, marketed and sold apparel using the same or substantially similar copyrighted designs and confusingly similar trademarks and trade dress” without authorization.
In response, Fashion Nova argued that Versace’s copyrighted prints shouldn’t be copyrighted at all, since they use “standard geometric figures and patterns” that “are widely used in the fashion/apparel industry.” The fast fashion brand — no stranger to plagiarism accusations — also requested that the court compel Donatella Versace herself to testify, a move that was quickly shot down.
Neither Versace nor Fashion Nova have commented further on the case or settlement.
