A French court has ordered shoemaker Jonak to pay €180,000 in damages to Chanel for profiting off the luxury brand’s designs. The Paris Court of Appeals found Jonak guilty of parasitism, after years of legal battle, for selling shoes similar to Chanel’s iconic beige-and-black slingbacks.
Jonak, which is a family owned company that has been around since the 1960s, must also cease sales, remove related social media content, and destroy remaining inventory. Chanel’s claim, initially filed in 2020, argued Jonak’s designs caused consumer confusion.
Jonak defended its actions, citing different market segments and longstanding use of the two-tone design, but the court sided with Chanel.
The Jonak versions cost around RM825, while the Chanel ones are approximately RM5,450. Both are made in Europe from goatskin, but the Chanel shoes are crafted in Italy, whereas Jonak’s are produced in Portugal.
Chanel’s shoe designs
At present, the case has not generated much public discussion, except for YouTuber Super Dacob, who mentioned it in his recent live stream. Prior to this, Hermes, a brand that is perceived to be of a higher echelon than Chanel, was in court against Skechers.
Apparently, Hermes was accused of copying Sketchers’ design. However, in the last few years, Chanel themselves have been seen making look-alike shoes akin to Nike and New Balance. In fact, some Redditors mention and compare these sports brands with Chanel’s sportier shoes.
In the world of fashion, trends tend to originate from a particular fashion house, to which, it may eventually be copied on. As it is, the classic black bag is made by every single mainstream designer out there, you’d just have to switch out the brand logos at this point.
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