Mansur Gavriel Vs. Maryam Nassir Zadeh: Who Owns Watermelon Suede?

In what might be the most niche fashion scandal to hit New York Fashion Week in, well, ever, downtown designer Maryam Nassir Zadeh is accusing fashion darlings and recent CFDA winners Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel of copying her signature shoes.

In June, the in-demand bag designers told Style.com (RIP) that they had plans to release shoes and clothes, just not in the near future. But on Tuesday, the two presented the collection in full. (If you missed it on Instagram, exactly who are you following?) By that afternoon, the model Mansur Gavriel had signed to star in the spring campaign, had resigned, telling WWD it was because of the similarities of the low-heeled suede mules: “I am really grateful for everything Maryam has done for me and it was not fair to keep working with Mansur Gavriel after the whole presentation thing. The shoes are very similar, and unfortunately there was this whole conflict.”

Maryam Nassir Zadeh has been making her shoes since 2012. Every summer since, you’ve seen them on women like Sienna Miller and Lena Dunham. There’s usually a wait list (I know, because I’ve been on it) and though you could get similar styles at Gap or Zara this particular summer because everyone was obsessed with all things ‘70s, they look more like something you’d find in a vintage store—in a size 5. Nassir Zadeh tells WWD that she’s “investigating” legal action, specifically noting a shade of “watermelon suede” that she has only ever seen on her own shoes and was disturbed to see pop up at Mansur Gavriel. 

The case of the watermelon suede: Real courtroom drama or Zoolander 2 plot?

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