Bra firm sues pants off Beyonce

An undies designer is suing Beyonce for a share of the booty from her new hit single after claiming she copied his knickers for her video.

Award-winning Bulgarian lingerie designer Iskren Lozanov says the Picasso-inspired undies the star wears in Video Phone are a dead ringer for underwear he designed last year.

Now his bosses at Triumph underwear are suing the pants off Beyonce's record label next month for breach of copyright.

Triumph and the star's label Sony are to appear at Munich's High Court in Germany on February 11 to let judges get to the bottom of the row.

The underwear giants have also taken a restraining order out to prevent the Video Phone video being shown on German TV, say reports.



Lozanov said: "My collection was based on Picasso's painting 'Girl In Front of a Mirror' and it would be just beyond belief for someone else to have had exactly the same idea and inspiration separately."

"I tried writing to Sony to ask them to just acknowledge my work and they did not even bother to send me a reply.

"So now we should let a judge decide who took what," he added.

Independent observers say there is an astonishing similarity between Lozanov's undies and the revealing lingerie being worn by Beyonce in her single with Lady Gaga.

In an eccentric and exciting review show in Hilton hotel, the Bulgarian "Triumph Inspiration Award" 2009 finalist was chosen. The designer's creation "Day and night" of the winner Iskren Lozanov has been inspired by 20th century art genius Pablo Picasso.

Lozanov's abstract designs won a major prize in last year's underwear Oscars held by manufacturers Triumph in Milan, Italy.

"He is a gifted, inspirational designer. Beyonce would feel exactly the same if someone stole one of her songs," confided a fellow designer.