Luxury brands reallllly don't like it when you take their names (or colors) in vain. (e.g. "The Hangover" bros flagrantly tossing around the name Louis Vuitton).
So we could've guessed that Dolce & Gabbana, one of the most recognizable fashion brands worldwide, would be upset when a small business owner named her boutique Dolce And Banana.
According to Independent Online, 60-year-old Mijou Beller was first contacted by the Italian luxury company six years ago when it discovered her Cape Town boutique, which sells locally made jewelry, had a moniker similar to its own.
"We didn’t oppose changing the name," Beller tells Independent Online, and has since renamed the store ... & Banana.
But Dolce & Gabbana is still on her case about their legal fees, wishing her to cough up about $13,000. "I cannot afford it," says Beller.
This isn't Dolce & Gabbana's first trademark stand-off, but in the past the brand has been on the receiving end. Levi's sued Dolce in early 2011 over similar stitching and tags on the Italian denim; in 2008, Finnish company Marimekko took issue with a Dolce & Gabbana floral print that looked eerily similar to its signature Unikko flowers.
This might be the first time, however, that Dolce & Gabbana's gotten into a legal mess over a pun. Read more at IOL.co.za and Racked.com.