A San Francisco fashion retailer has filed a class action lawsuit against Ivanka Trump’s clothing line for unfair competition because of the first daughter’s ties to the White House.
Though Mrs. Trump does not have any official role in her father’s administration, Modern Appealing Clothing (MAC) alleges in its lawsuit that her brand has enjoyed an unfair advantage since Mr. Trump was elected.
The lawsuit claims that Mrs. Trump’s brand has seen sales surge several hundred percent since last year due to “unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent promotional activities” committed by Mrs. Trump, the president and others.
The lawsuit cites Mr. Trump’s tweet in February that blasted Nordstrom for dropping the brand, as well as counselor Kellyanne Conway’s plugging of the brand on Fox News as examples of unfair competition.
It also accuses the Ivanka Trump brand of “exploiting the power and prestige of the White House for personal gain, including, but not limited to, piggybacking promotion of defendant Ivanka Trump products on appearances at executive branch and other governmental events.”
MAC seeks to represent a class that includes all women’s clothing and accessory businesses that operated in California between November 9, 2016 — the day after the election — through the date of trial, Courthouse News Service reported.
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“As a result of their unlawful acts, defendants have reaped and continue to reap unfair benefits and illegal profits at the expense of plaintiff MAC and the class it seeks to represent,” MAC says in the lawsuit.
The retailer is seeking unspecified damages for itself and the class, as well as a restraining order preventing the Ivanka Trump brand from continuing to compete in California at an unfair advantage.
“My clients just want an even playing field,” MAC attorney R. Michael Lieberman told Courthouse News in an interview Friday.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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