The trial brought by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against a potential merger of ‘accessible luxury’ brands Tapestry and Capri Holdings has ended, with the federal judge’s decision expected within the next few months.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission had urged the federal judge in New York to block Tapestry’s plans for an $ 8.5 billion merger with rival handbag maker Capri Holdings on the basis that it will eliminate competition in the market for ‘accessible luxury’ handbags.

The regulator defined the ‘accessible luxury’ market as handbags sold between the $100 and $1,000 price mark. Tapestry is the parent of both Coach and Kate Spade while Capri Holdings is the company behind the Michael Kors’ brands. The FTC claims that the competition between the two brands ensures better prices, discounts and promotions for consumers and wages and workplace benefits for employees.

FTC Chief Trial Counsel Nicole Lindquist told U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon that the brunt of a merger would be borne by ‘the working and middle class women of America.’ Should the merger go through, Tapestry will control over 50% of the market.

The definition of accessible luxury is crucial to the case. The term was first coined by Coach over twenty years ago as a marketing term to position itself against European luxury labels but with more affordable pricing. Tapestry argues that ‘accessible luxury’ is a notional concept and that the U.S. handbag market is highly fragmented and competitive with low barriers to entry and fickle consumer tastes. Tapestry lawyer Lawrence Buterman said the FTC’s argument is divorced from the commercial reality of the handbag market where customers are inundated with choice. Tapestry has also denied claims of anti-competitive behavior, arguing that it has no incentive or plans to merge the brands, share pricing information or limit innovation.

A lawyer for Capri told the court that Michael Kors does not fall within the FTC’s own threshold since the average Michael Kors handbag now sells for $92.