Copyright Row Hits NYFW

A row has erupted between two New York Fashion Week designers over the copyright of a specific shoe design. Mansur Gavriel, which unveiled its first footwear collection this week, has been accused of copyright infringement by Maryam Nassir Zadeh, who has stated that the shoes are "way to close to my own designs to be an accident".

Nassir Zadeh said that the shoes in question, "Not only replicate my signature block heel, but use it in collaboration with an open-toe mule and slide shapes like my own," according to WWD. The designer also told the publication that she has had numerous people contact her to point out the similarities, while model Mari Giudicelli - who was slated to appear in Mansur Gavriel's static presentation - pulled out over loyalty to Nassir Zadeh.

"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," Giudicelli told WWD. "The shoes are very similar, and unfortunately there was this whole conflict."

But, while Nassir Zadeh (who also stated that she had previously seen designer Floriana Gavriel wearing her shoes on Instagram), has confirmed that she is "investigating legal recourse", whether or not she will be able to bring a case is to be seen since "copyright law prohibits the protection of a design if the idea underlying the design can be expressed only in one way or a drastically limited number of ways," outlines The Fashion Law.

Gavriel - who, together with her design partner Rachel Mansur, won the Swarovski Award For Accessory Design at the CFDA´a this year - said at the presentation: "I think it's a large range in terms of the form and the heel. We see it as one visual world."