Derek Lam: Ivanka Trump 'Perfectly Copied' My Shoe Design (PHOTOS)

Designer Derek Lam claims he's been pillaged by a Trump.

The fashion designer fired off a cease-and-desist letter to Ivanka Trump this week alleging that a sandal from Trump's shoe collection plagiarizes a design from his footwear line, reports Women's Wear Daily:

"We have seen very similar copies before but we have never seen a shoe that perfectly copied," said Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, chief executive officer of Derek Lam. "It's such an investment to make a shoe... we had to protest this."

Zing.

The Lam shoe in question is the Ayami sandal, a slingback wedge sandal that retails for a walloping $780. Trump's sandal, the Cadie wedge, sells for $150.

To our eye, the shoes are extremely similar; both have a patterned heel strap and nearly identical detailing on the toe strap. The stacked heels are also eerily alike.

Ivanka's collection, which she launched earlier this year, is licensed through Marc Fisher Footwear, so it's not like she's elbow-deep in the design process. But still, we're assuming that she'll be correcting this ASAP. Lam's attorneys are permitting Trump seven days to pull the shoe.

Check out the shoes below to eye the details yourself, and read more at WWD.

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Comments

[gomezdlg]

10:39 AM on 01/12/2012

I'm sure Ivanka did not design the shoe herself, probably her design team. She just has to decide if she likes it or not.

[rjwsafety]

12:07 PM on 12/25/2011

Who Really Cares?

Shoes don't mean a thing when People are lossing there homes, and standing on street corners holding signs "I WILL WORK FOR FOOD."

[theroundearth]

09:12 PM on 12/25/2011

All this does not justifies lazy uncreative rich people for stealing ideas from others. Stealing their work is not good for the economy.

[hang319]

07:05 PM on 12/24/2011

Yep. She's a thief.

[ignacio sanabria]

12:13 PM on 12/24/2011

The human foot has the same shape so shoes must fit that shape regardless of design

[Val Vargaz]

08:35 AM on 12/24/2011

Its a knock-off. Her daddy steals OPM and like daughter steals OPS.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

03:04 PM on 12/23/2011

One rich person suing another rich person; and I care why?

[miketothad]

02:55 PM on 12/23/2011

Whoa. She's busted.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

02:52 PM on 12/23/2011

It's a freaking shoe, yes they are similar, no they are not identical. But it's a shoe folks, there's only so many ways to sew leather together. Geeesss.

[08politicaljunkie]

02:41 PM on 12/23/2011

I don't see anything special or innovative about that shoe's design. It looks like something out of the 70's.

[Lawyer822]

02:18 PM on 12/23/2011

Just like father. He must be so proud.

[Candace Ruelas]

02:13 PM on 12/23/2011

and Derek Lam stole it from the 1970's. I wore shoes that looked exactly like that back in the day. Maybe Ivanka's are pretty similar, but there isn't really anything original about his sandal either.

[bobncar]

01:37 PM on 12/23/2011

knockoffs..........isn't that addressed somewhere in the new piracy issue law?

[joelb5000]

01:33 PM on 12/23/2011

So, did Wharton teach her that?

[sf girl]

01:15 PM on 12/23/2011

A Trump taking credit for someone else's work? You don't say!

[demilieu]

12:56 PM on 12/23/2011

Good gosh, she's a very pretty woman! Those shoes look uncomfortable, though.