Fashion designer Georgina Chapman, known for dressing celebrities, appeared cheerful at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia last month. However, her company, Marchesa, is facing a lawsuit from 16 employees who claim they haven’t been paid.
Additionally, the company faced losing its Manhattan, New York office space on January 22nd due to unpaid rent.
Georgina Chapman, a 49-year-old British woman and the partner of actor Adrien Brody, started her fashion label in 2004. At the time, she was in a relationship with film producer Harvey Weinstein, who she later married.
After the #MeToo movement exposed allegations against Harvey Weinstein – with over 80 women coming forward – his business suffered significantly, and he was later found guilty of sexual assault.
Despite the challenges, Chapman persevered and, with support from powerful allies like Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, she was able to keep her business afloat.
Last year, it came to light that twelve different groups were taking the company to court, and the situation seems to have deteriorated since then. Just this January, sixteen former workers filed a request for a jury trial, seeking unpaid wages.
Okay, so I’ve been following Marchesa for years, and I just saw this insane thing. Apparently, legal papers are saying Georgina Chapman and her brother Edward – he’s a big part of the company too – have been consistently late paying people, and sometimes just…not paying them at all! It’s a total violation of New York’s labor laws, and honestly, I’m shocked. It’s like, how can someone who creates such beautiful things treat their workers like that? I’m just devastated to hear this.
The story started around the end of July last year, just four months after Kate Chapman, dressed in Marchesa, accompanied Adrien Brody on the Oscars red carpet and he famously gave her his used chewing gum before accepting his Best Actor award.
According to the lawsuit, payments were often late – by days or weeks – and sometimes weren’t made at all.
The team consists of Marchesa’s public relations staff, a Vice President of Operations, production managers, several designers, and managers overseeing global and couture production, as well as an accounts receivable manager and a design intern who has been with the company since 2011.
The company is facing eviction from its Manhattan office on 8th Avenue due to $1.4 million in unpaid rent and bills. The landlord has been authorized to remove them from the four-story space.
The legal request was submitted last September, and Marchesa hasn’t responded – they haven’t hired a lawyer to defend themselves yet.
The fashion company leased a property in November 2019. When the landlord sought to evict them, the company didn’t respond. As a result, on January 7th, a court ruled in favor of the landlord, allowing them to take back possession of the property on January 22nd.
In addition, a judge has issued a default notice in a case filed by EN OD Capital, a finance company. They claimed last October that Marchesa hadn’t repaid a $220,000 loan, which was secured by $303,600 in anticipated future sales.
In addition, the judge ruled in favor of DHL, the shipping company, stating that Marchesa owes them $12,704 for unpaid postage fees.
Naomi Chapman and Thomas Brody were introduced in 2019 by a friend they both knew, model Helena Christensen. They now share a large home in New York State with Chapman’s two children from her previous relationship with Harvey Weinstein. Chapman accompanied Brody to the Oscars last March, wearing a Marchesa gown, when he won his second award for his role in The Brutalist.
While accepting the award, he thanked his partner, Georgina, saying she’s helped him rediscover his confidence and strengthen his beliefs.
Georgina reportedly received $15 million in her divorce from Weinstein, but that amount isn’t nearly enough to fund a fashion company.
Fashion journalist Lauren Sherman, writing for Puck News, pointed out last year that the funding behind the Marchesa fashion brand was unclear. While Harvey Weinstein claimed he hadn’t been providing financial support, particularly in recent years, questions remain about who is actually funding the company.
Making both custom clothing for individual clients and large orders of gowns worth $5,000, $6,000, or $7,000 for stores requires significant funding.
She explained that, similar to many fashion brands focused on appearance, Marchesa was struggling with increasing debts and a lack of clear direction.
As someone who’s always been fascinated by people’s journeys, I find Georgina’s story particularly interesting. Growing up in Wimbledon and getting her education at Marlborough – the same school as Princess Diana, actually – she initially pursued acting. But things shifted when she met Weinstein, and she ended up co-founding the fashion label Marchesa with a friend. It’s a great example of how life can take unexpected turns and lead you down a completely different path!
Cate Blanchett chose a Marchesa mini dress for the 2004 Rome premiere of The Aviator. Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and Diane Kruger have also worn Marchesa gowns on the red carpet.
Indeed, the label was named Red Carpet Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2007.
This period of success ended in 2017 when the New York Times published an article revealing decades of accusations against Weinstein, alleging he had paid off people who accused him of sexual harassment.
As someone who follows these things closely, I was really struck by the news about Chapman. She made the incredibly difficult decision to separate from her husband and, in a heartfelt statement, expressed her deep sympathy for anyone impacted by his actions. She actually canceled her upcoming fashion show, which speaks volumes about where her priorities are right now – with those who have suffered and focusing on a new path forward.
Initially, the situation appeared very grim. The hashtag #BoycottMarchesa quickly gained traction on Twitter, and one New York fashion expert predicted that celebrities would no longer wear the brand.
Georgina retreated to London with the children.
In a 2018 interview with Vogue, she admitted she’d been very naive. She described feeling a mix of intense emotions – anger, confusion, and disbelief – and often found herself crying for her children, worrying about their future and how others would treat them, especially considering their love for their father. She found it heartbreaking to think about the challenges they might face.
She explained that she was completely unaware of what was happening. She said that’s what hurt the most – she believed she had a wonderful and fulfilling marriage, and genuinely enjoyed her life.
Several months passed, and Vogue published an article questioning whether people were ready to wear Marchesa designs again. Shortly after, Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, stated on The Late Show that Georgina Chapman was a talented designer and shouldn’t be held responsible for the actions of her husband.
Georgina moved back to upstate New York and, until recently, released four collections annually, all through her online store.
The company didn’t release official sales or profit numbers, but sources close to them said the business was performing strongly, with Marchesa reportedly generating around $38.5 million in revenue each year.
In a Vogue interview, she described Adrien Brody as someone who deeply feels and internalizes everything that happens to him, both the good and the bad. She explained that he has a rich inner world he can access, and that he’s a very sensitive person who experiences emotions intensely.
Read More
- Will Victoria Beckham get the last laugh after all? Posh Spice’s solo track shoots up the charts as social media campaign to get her to number one in ‘plot twist of the year’ gains momentum amid Brooklyn fallout
- Binance’s Bold Gambit: SENT Soars as Crypto Meets AI Farce
- Dec Donnelly admits he only lasted a week of dry January as his ‘feral’ children drove him to a glass of wine – as Ant McPartlin shares how his New Year’s resolution is inspired by young son Wilder
- The five movies competing for an Oscar that has never been won before
- Vanessa Williams hid her sexual abuse ordeal for decades because she knew her dad ‘could not have handled it’ and only revealed she’d been molested at 10 years old after he’d died
- New Gundam Anime Movie Sets ‘Clear’ Bar With Exclusive High Grade Gunpla Reveal
- Simulating Society: Modeling Personality in Social Media Bots
- Invincible Season 4’s 1st Look Reveals Villains With Thragg & 2 More
- SEGA Football Club Champions 2026 is now live, bringing management action to Android and iOS
- How to watch and stream the record-breaking Sinners at home right now
2026-01-23 04:53