Adventures in Copyright: Not Quite Right

Jul 09, 2008 @ 1:24pm

givenchy gets ripped.jpg We love Givenchy.

Ricardo Tisci's pumped the label full of rock star elegance and some incredible accessories and some seriously edgy shoes including these strappy, buckled, Gwyneth-approved heels.

Yes. They're amazing.

Steve Madden thinks so, too. In fact, he's selling his copy for a whopping $200. Which is about $800 less than the originals. Unfortunately, $200 is far too much for anything from Steve Madden, especially yet another plastic looking imitation shoe with a too-short heel.

Steven, please stop ruining pretty shoes.

posted by Janedoll

Jul 09, 2008 1:26PM

steven has done better imitations
this one isnt that great at all

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 1:38PM

without commenting on the issue of copying,

does this shoe really look THAT bad? i mean it's not as perfect as the givenchy, but if you'd never seen the givenchy, would you think this other shoe was ugly? i doubt it.

posted by sarajane

Jul 09, 2008 1:40PM

this copy isn't great but I just got in my carrie bradshaw fake gucci steve maddens and they are lovely!...I don't think they're ruining shoes by providing fashion obsessed gals with less money pretty decent versions of the shoes we drool over.

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 2:01PM

agree with sarajane. Furthermore, I dont think ill ever, ever spend more than $200 on a pair of heels.

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 2:24PM

who can afford to spend two weeks pay on a pair of shoes. The shoes are cute and Steve Madden jsut makes it possible for peopel with less money to emulate the style they deserve. Give credit to the girl who is fashion forward enough to want to purchase a Givenchy knock off. High end clothing is where people get the inspiration for style but few can really afford it. Get off your high horse, or even better stop relying on your parents to pay for your clothing.

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 2:38PM

maybe they dont rely on their parents. maybe they live in new york and earn a decent wage. 20,000 is not even the per capita income. dont comment if you dont understand. a lot of the readers on this blog make a lot more money than that. every post isnt for everybody.

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 2:45PM

Maybe it's just comparing photos, but I don't think SM look like that bad of a copy.

I DO, however, find it annoying that they exist. This is an original shoe and I know how mad I have been when I have invested in a good shoe then SM rips it off. ANNOYING. Stop ruining good shoes is right.

posted by doll

Jul 09, 2008 2:46PM

I don't make $1,000,000 a year (hello, what college student does? not counting MK&A and their brief NYU career), but I'm the kind of fashion obsessed poor student that will skip on meals & activities only to buy one pair of Givenchys every few months, and so knock offs break my heart a little bit. But I'm completely torn, because I also snap up trendy items at Forever 21 all the time.

posted by doll

Jul 09, 2008 2:47PM

But also I kind of like the SM pair (not for $200 though, no way).

posted by xxi

Jul 09, 2008 3:00PM

That SM heel is too short, seriously? It looks pretty high to me, much more walkable than the Givenchy. But still pretty high over all.

posted by JmacsGrl259

Jul 09, 2008 4:53PM

i love steve madden. i love high fashion but im not about to spend almost a thousand dollars on shoes thatll kill my feet. i like the copies

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 5:48PM

i find this site to be really enjoyable & entertaining, but the attitude toward accessible fashion is obnoxious...i don't think any of the readers on this site need you to prove your fashion cred by stomping on steve madden twice a day. as any "fashionista" is aware, the top designers rip off street fashion all the time and charge obscene prices with no attribution. and frankly, do you really believe your diy stuff "ruins pretty shoes" any less? i think we all remember the recent sergio rossi diy... keep up the good work, but PLEASE chill out.

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 5:59PM

i agree with the commenter above me: what is this holier than thou attitude?

in the rest of the fashion blogosphere, all the most sartorial ladies (rumi, camille, others) have the balenciaga rip-offs by nine west. do you guys hate those, too?

the steve maddens look pretty decent, and every trendy nine west/steve madden/aldo shoe is some kind of knock-off.

given the fact that you guys can be pretty late on trends and have questionable judgment when it comes to streetwalkers, why do you have to act so pompous about some things? and how come you don't start broadcasting your outfits more often, if you're so fashionable and able to spend full price continuously on only designer shoes?

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 7:11PM

actually this other option to the two of these has been circulating around the fashion blogs and is a much better option-- dollhouse polic- http://davidzinc.stores.yahoo.net/dhpolic-blk.html

it was first available on bakers then sold out. then was available on shoes.com, then sold out and now i found at david z.

it's much closer to the givenchy.

the best part, if they have your size, it's only 70 dollars!!

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 7:30PM

this may not be his best but i really do like that i can get a close copy of a cool shoe could not afford ( $1,000 is currently my rent not what i could ever afford for shoes)

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 7:35PM

Right on guest at 5:48! This site is so fun but the "adventures in copyright" juxtaposed with the DIY is so annoying--I realize the difference but STILL. And as for the Steve Madden, etc designer rip-offs, there will ALWAYS be a market for that stuff as long as the high end "excusive" stuff exists. I personally think both are lame and prefer interesting smaller name and not as expensive designers/brands. Steve Madden/ F21 rip-offs are just boring. That's what they do, end of story.

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 11:08PM

I don't think the knockoffs didn't ruin the originals. If the original design is ruined by or can't rise above the copies then it wasn't that great to begin with.

structurally, the givenchy ones look better because of the higher, skinnier, more refined heel and arch. But typically any stiletto that's taller and skinnier is going to look better. SM simply made the shoe slightly easier to balance in which is very practical.

however, they both look good and they both are too expensive for a shoe I would probably wear one night.

posted by FashionIntelligentsia

Jul 09, 2008 11:40PM

To my fellow fashionistas, I strongly recommend the book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster. http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-How-Luxury-Lost-Luster/dp/1594201293

It will not only break your heart about our beloved fashion houses, but it will also get you thinking about what products are true luxury goods.

I wouldn't be surprised if all the aformentioned shoes, including Givenchy, were made in the same factory. Sad, but possibly true.

posted by guest

Jul 09, 2008 11:43PM

These adventures in copyrights are starting to seem more like a ad for steve madden considering the direct link to shoe in question and the consistency in which he is written about. I think he should owe you royalties or something

also,I'm starting to get an inferiority complex about the amount of money I currently am able or will EVER be able to spend on shoes and/or and handbags. Jesus.

posted by guest

Jul 10, 2008 2:02AM

dear steve,
at least f21 doesn't have the audacity to charge triple digits for their rip-offs... and even if yours are natural materials (aka: some parts may be actual leather) and theirs are perhaps all man-made materials, you still have no excuse b/c you are supposedly an actual "shoe designer" and should really design your own originals if you intend to charge the sale price of actual designer shoes that you're copying.
i mean really... i think it would be cooler if these wannabe shoes appeared to be "inspired by" a certain style rather than an obvious not-quite-right-knock-off... its fine to buy a more affordable shoe, but its just weird to where fake shoes/bags/denim/etc.---
live within your means, but you will always look chic once you realize there is no limit to the confidence that you carry with your look-and THAT is what makes you look like a million bucks :)
<3the f21 chloe shoe fiasco so-called elitist

posted by guest

Jul 10, 2008 3:07PM

The website descriptions indicate they both have a 4-inch heel, so kind of ridiculous to criticize one by saying it has a "too-short" heel. (And what a bizarre world we live in that 4 inches could possibly be too short of a heel...) Maybe the Givenchy is just thinner? Although, to me, the very thin heel makes it look out of proportion to the rest of the shoe. But then I never liked that really teetery look anyway.

posted by guest

Jul 10, 2008 6:37PM

i really like that fashionista has these posts its just fun why is everyone getting so upset

posted by guest

Jul 10, 2008 11:51PM

just to put this in perspective: for one of your diys you made a necklace out of *dental floss* and suggested painting *LVs* on it...besides ruining something nice (Louis Vuitton necklace) i'm pretty sure that's straight up copyright infringement. And as for posting pages you ripped out of magazines, I may never understand how you get away with it...not that i'm complaining, it's all very entertaining!

posted by guest

Jul 11, 2008 1:21AM

I agree with guest 11:08, but I dare say I like these posts. They're like a guide to the best knock offs =).

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 11:48AM

on a side note - I hate Steve Madden - ever try to use customer service? ever see if your shoes last a year? neither has a good outcome