Loro Piana has secured another victory in its ongoing efforts to protect its signature footwear styles and broader brand identity. In a recently-issued order, the Commercial Chamber of the Court of Turin granted injunctive relief in favor of the LVMH-owned brand, barring Eleante Fashion Ltd. from producing, marketing, and selling footwear that infringes Loro Piana’s rights in its hot-selling – and widely copied – Open Walk, Summer Walk, and Tennis Walk shoes. The court also prohibited Eleante from using the Loro Piana name “in any form or manner” and from misappropriating the brand’s distinctive store imagery and packaging.
The Background in Brief: The case stems from trademark infringement and unfair competition claims that Loro Piana lodged against Eleante Fashion, in connection with the UK-based company’s sale of multiple footwear models – including the “City Loafer,” “Marina Suede Loafer,” and “City Sneaker” – that replicate the designs of Loro Piana’s Open Walk, Summer Walk, and Tennis Walk styles. According to Loro Piana, Eleante Fashion’s copying extended to key design features, including Loro Piana’s neutral-toned rubber sole, faux welt, tone-on-tone stitching, customization grooves, colored heel inserts, and the distinctive two-layer sole construction with a diamond-textured band embedded in a transparent amber sole.
Beyond infringing the protected elements of its footwear, Loro Piana accused Eleante Fashion of engaging in broader acts of unfair competition. In particular, Loro Piana alleged that Eleante promoted its footwear online alongside images of Loro Piana shopping bags and store windows, staged product photos outside the well-known company’s retail stores, and circulated sponsored videos on Instagram directly comparing its products to Loro Piana’s original footwear. And finally, Loro Piana claimed that Eleante made use of its trademarks at the metadata level of its website, a tactic aimed at manipulating search engine results to drive traffic by associating with Loro Piana’s reputation.
A Sweeping Win for Loro Piana
In its order, which was handed down in April and recently made public, the Court of Turin enjoined Eleante Fashion from “producing, commercializing, promoting, or offering for sale … the products named ‘City Loafer,’ ‘Marina Suede Loafer,’ and ‘City Sneaker,’” and from using the trademarks “Loro Piana,” “Open Walk,” and “Summer Walk” in any form. The court further prohibited Eleante from using images of Loro Piana’s store windows, packaging, or other retail identifiers in its marketing.
To ensure its compliance, the court imposed penalties of €1,000 for each day that Eleante fails to comply with the order, as well as €500 for each infringing product sold following service of the decision. Still yet, the court ordered Eleante to publish the operative part of the order in both Italian and English on the homepage of its website in a prominent position, using double-sized font, without hyperlinks, for 60 days. In addition, Eleante must pay €4,689 in litigation costs, plus applicable fees and surcharges.
The ruling comes as part of Loro Piana’s ongoing enforcement efforts aimed at protecting its growing footwear business and brand identity. “This demonstrates once again the importance of protecting not only product designs but also the elements that contribute to the luxury brand’s identity,” said Trevisan & Cuonzo, the Italian law firm representing Loro Piana.
The Turin decision follows a separate victory for Loro Piana in November 2024 before the Court of Bari, where the defendant was similarly enjoined from producing and selling infringing footwear styles. These cases highlight the company’s increasingly aggressive IP enforcement posture, as the brand’s footwear business, anchored by its recognizable White Sole line and Open Walk silhouette, continues to grow as a key commercial category for the company.
The case is Loro Piana S.p.A. v. Eleante Fashion Ltd., 1570/2025 (Trib. Di Torino).
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