An apology is nice. A million dollars is nicer.
After Steve Madden offered a mea culpa for telling Stacey Bendet to “go f–k yourself” in a row over allegedly knocked-off clothing, the Alice + Olivia designer has asked him to donate $1 million to help other designers to fight trademark infringement as well.
Madden was caught on tape cursing at Bendet after she confronted him about allegedly copying her designs. (In 2018, Alice + Olivia sued Madden-owned label Betsey Johnson when it came out with handbags featuring a face design similar to Bendet’s StaceFace. The case was settled.) He later told Page Six, “I’m sorry for losing my temper with Stacey.”
But Bendet said on social media, “I am hoping from now on that all things #Stace remind women that they do have a voice,” adding that her products with her face on it “will be sold to support programs that support women.” She said, “I feel like his ‘apology’ should really include a 1 million dollar donation to the [trade association, the Council of Fashion Designers of America] to create a legal protection fund for designers when their work is copied or trademarks are violated.”
For more on Steve Madden’s rant, listen to this episode of the Page Six podcast, “We Hear“:
Madden has been sued by several brands, including Balenciaga and indie brand Lucky Horse.