It’s apparentlyꦿ a fashion faux pas to use the term “coterie” – unless you have the blessing of the country’s top trade show producer for clothing lines.
Fashion-trade-show giant ENK International on Monday slapped a trademark-infringement lawsuit on the operators of small-time event thaℱt promotes plus-size women’s clothing.
The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, allegesಌ ENK’s popular “Fashion Coterie” trade show at Javits Center set for September 17 to 19 is being tarnished because North Carolina-based Tanner Companies had the gall to organize a similarly named fashion event called “The Curvy Coterie” fo💖r September 20 in Virginia.
The suit claims ENK has trademark rights to the term “Coterie🥃” in connection with “organizing and ༺conducting trade shows in the field of clothing and clothing accessories.”
Tanner has been advertising “The C𒆙urvey Coterie” online and promoting it via Facebook.
“[Tanner’s] use of ‘The Curvy Coterie’ in connection with the advertising and promotion of a fashion event for the trade in connection with clothing and accessories infringes ENK’s federal trademark registrations and will continue to cause irreparable harm to ENK’s goodwill and reputation in the industry,” the suit says.
ENK has hosted the Coterie Trade Show since 1986. The show bri⛎ngs together more than 1,500 exhibitors and 9,800 retailers from all over the world to the Big Apple, according to the lawsuit.
Jeffrey Kaden, a lawyer for ENK, said the company wants Tanner to rename its event or be subjected to court-ordered penaltওies.
He said the suit had nothing to do with the type of clothing Tanner expecꦇts to show off for big women.
Tanner coul𝄹d not immediately be reac🧸hed for comment.