Prada SUES Ex-Employee Who Says She Was Told To Change Hair, Lose Weight

Prada has countersued a former employee who is suing the luxury brand for sexual harassment and unfair dismissal, the AFP reports. Prada Japan has taken Rina Bovrisse to the Tokyo District Court, seeking for $390,000 for hurting the company's image.

According to The Japan Times, four lawyers representing Prada Japan went to the opening day of the countersuit but neither the store's managers nor Bovrisse were present. Bovrisse wrote in an e-mail, "Prada Japan's countersuit infringes on human rights, as it threatens victims from telling the truth about what happened and scares women who want to speak out bravely."

Back in March, Bovrisse, then a former senior retail manager for Prada Japan, claimed that the CEO of Prada Japan Davide Sesia asked her to "eliminate" fifteen employees who were "aged, ugly, fat, bad body shape, bad teeth, disgusting and not cute." Bovrisse herself was also told to change her hair and lose weight. She claims that when she complained, she was fired and is seeking $685,000 in damages for emotional distress caused by Prada. They couldn't settle out of court.

Comments

[Queen Cassandra]

04:02 PM on 08/27/2010

This is one reason why they( fashion companies) are Losing money........, Always trying to hire model-like images. They had better hire people who can sell !!

[ThatKaz]

09:20 AM on 08/26/2010

While there is only the former employee's statement, it would not surprise me at all if this occurred. The fashion industry can be very judgmental. A great deal of fashion companies want their employees to be "presentable" in their definition of the word.

[Mahi Joe]

04:55 AM on 08/26/2010

I wonder if Prada applies the same standards to their customers.

[1jadednewyorker]

08:34 AM on 08/26/2010

..of course not..

[Hajnal]

02:04 PM on 08/29/2010

Only the size of their bank account matters.

[LaurieAnn]

07:53 PM on 08/26/2010

How large does Prada size their clothing? That would be a clue.

[N8tracks]

12:47 AM on 08/26/2010

Emotional distress is weak. Be glad I'm not the judge.

[Coydog34]

09:18 AM on 08/26/2010

You're so Macho!

[Indiegirl99]

02:29 PM on 08/28/2010

I have learned you never know how you are going to react or feel about something till you have lived through it.

[Very Berry]

10:50 PM on 08/25/2010

Interesting. I can't imagine Muicci Prada sanctioning such directions.

[1jadednewyorker]

08:36 AM on 08/26/2010

...do you know her personally?

Most wealthy people public personal is very different from their private persona. I have been the Executive Adim/Asst to several wealthy individuals. They and their wealthy cohorts make a conscious effort to not reveal their negative attributes.

[kittenboots]

03:19 PM on 08/27/2010

You'd be surprised. She's notorious for not having any Black or other models of color on her runway!

[AlligatorShuz]

09:00 PM on 08/25/2010

I believe the store employee because all of the Prada Specialist in the retail outlets there is a weight requirement. Mucchia Prada is just mad because this got out in the public.

[N8tracks]

12:48 AM on 08/26/2010

So they make it worse by fighting it in court? They could pay her 1 million and not even blink and no one would have heard a word.

Your logic is flawed.

[Randy Wetzel]

08:04 AM on 08/26/2010

Except its pretty widely known that Corporations will spend more to defend themselves then they would have paid out on a claim...even if they are in the wrong.

[Takebackourmoney]

05:42 PM on 08/27/2010

Gota preserve the corporate image to ensure more money than a million.

[afgail]

08:10 PM on 08/25/2010

If Prada can't figure out how to enhance the appearance of their employees without resorting to dismissal, one wonders what is the value of Prada? Isn't fashion all about making the most attractive presentation of your god given appearance? What complete jerks.

[N8tracks]

12:49 AM on 08/26/2010

Assuming she's telling the truth.

[Gavin Saunders]

04:03 AM on 08/26/2010

I'm inclined to believe her as from my personal experience women are treated very much as second class citizens, at least in Tokyo. Even Prada there would not take too well to any woman who is anything other than subservient.

[Comidoki]

08:29 AM on 08/26/2010

Why don't you do a test? Walk into a Prada store and take a look at the age and physical appearance of the people working in the store. If they have fair hiring practices you should see people of diverse ages and body types, not all size zero 20 somethings.

[LMPE]

07:22 PM on 08/25/2010

Y'know, I'd always wondered why the Devil wears that stuff.

[sublimaze]

10:07 PM on 08/25/2010

Agreed. I've always felt Prada was incredibly overrated.

[noladebby]

05:42 PM on 08/25/2010

She was just selling clothes......

[wishfulslinking]

05:38 PM on 08/25/2010

Bad journalism personified.

Nothing on applicable Japanese laws.

No clarification if these demands were in the employment contracts.

[Very Berry]

10:50 PM on 08/25/2010

agree

[N8tracks]

12:50 AM on 08/26/2010

You expect journalism here? Whose fault is that?

[Comidoki]

08:24 AM on 08/26/2010

Your a very disagreeable fellow.

[Biendiosa]

04:47 PM on 08/25/2010

The more reports I read on fashion houses, the more that I am convinced that they are run by facists.
Ugly Facists, at that.

[Milash]

05:34 PM on 08/25/2010

Ugly, hungry Facists.

[ilovemyprez]

05:38 PM on 08/25/2010

Fashion is about aesthetics. I don't think it's that unreasonable that they want their employees to present a certain image.

[kittenboots]

07:04 PM on 08/25/2010

While I agree fashion is about aesthetics, unless she had a radically different haircut when they hired her or the people with the gnarly teeth and who were fat with bad body shapes developed those conditions while working at Prada, they probably were fat and had bad teeth when they were hired. Unless Prada has a manifesto on the physical characteristics that all of their employees are required to meet in regards to attractiveness, they're not winning this case and even if they have something in writing, why hire people who don't fit that mold?