Carolyn Rafaelian is just a small-business-owning single mom with three kids to raise, but the bigwigs at Juicy Couture don’t care. She insists they’ve knocked off her most popular product – and are telling her to bug off.
Rafaelian owns and designs the jewelry line Alex and Ani, sold at Henri Bendel and Saks.com and beloved by celebs like Courteney Cox and Cameron Diaz for its charming customizable pieces.
Alex and Ani’s expandable gold wire bracelets – adaptable-fit bangles Rafaelian patented in 2004 – have been featured in magazines such as Vogue, Lucky, InStyle and Elle, where it seems they may have caught the eye of her competitors.
“We noticed the Juicy Couture copies two months ago – Shopbop, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks all had four or five different styles online,” the Manhattan designer told The Post.
The gold charm bangles from both companies are nearly identical in appearance and in price. Alex and Ani’s range from $28 to $68 each and Juicy Couture’s sell for $48 apiece.
“The biggest issue with bangles in the jewelry industry is the size issue,” Rafaelian says. “This design fits like a glove – it fits every wrist, the way it opens and closes, so it eliminates that problem.”
Her lawyers immediately sent cease-and-desist letters to all the stores and Liz Claiborne Inc., which owns Juicy Couture.
“Juicy Couture’s response was that basically they think theirs is different enough,” Rafaelian says. “We told them that we are known for that bracelet – and there’s definitely evidence of customer confusion. I’ve been getting a ton of phone calls and e-mails from customers, editors and buyers who are confused – it’s just bad business.”
Juicy Couture has rebuffed Rafaelian’s lawyers with one-line denials. In response to The Post, Juicy Couture issued a statement: “We believe the claim is without merit and we plan to defend it vigorously.”
Last year, the Council of Fashion Designers of America began pushing for Senate legislation giving copyright protection to designs.
Alex and Ani is no stranger to copycats, Rafaelian said. When the company first started, mass retailer JCPenney knocked off the expandable bracelet, but pulled the item from its shelves and sent an official apology when contacted by Rafaelian’s legal team.
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