Jessica Simpson Accused of Ripping Off Louboutin Shoes - Softpedia

Right now, Jessica Simpson is one of the biggest brands on the market and, at the same time, the most successful celebrity with her own fashion and accessories line. A recent report suggests that, with all that, her ideas might not be that original.

Gossip and fashion blog Jezebel stumbled onto a very interesting find: one of the latest Simpson designs, the Evangel sandal, is actually strikingly similar to the Statarata model Christian Louboutin put out a couple of years ago.

In fact, except for the trademark Louboutin red sole, what one design has, the other also includes.

Click on the image attached to this article to see both shoes: the one on the right is Louboutin, the other is a Simpson design.

The former retailed for $995 (€761.98) when they first came out in 2010, instantly sold out and were then released in a variety of new colors.

The latter pair costs $98 (€75) and is now available in stores. While they clearly target different buyers, the question of whether Simpson is playing fair does come up, Jezebel notes.

“Jessica Simpson herself wears the knock-offs in a new ad for her shoe line, which as one blogger noted runs in the current issue of Elle â€" one of the same magazines to highlight the Staratatas when they came out,” the e-zine says.

“It seems hard to imagine that the similarity between these shoes could have been coincidental,” it adds.

Legally sp eaking, assuming Simpson ripped off the Louboutin design, she can't be held accountable, but the very act of doing so can be potentially damaging for her reputation as an original designer.

“Christian Louboutin is currently engaged in a legal fight to defend the trademark it holds on the use of the red sole in footwear â€" the red sole being the one design element Simpson's licensee, Camuto Group, did not copy,” Jezebel says.

“Because clothing and accessories are not currently eligible for any copyright protection in the US, the Jessica Simpson sandal probably isn't breaking any laws. Still tacky as [hell], though,” adds the publication.