While dress designer Georgina Chapman appeared cheerful at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah last month, her fashion label, Marchesa, is facing a lawsuit. Sixteen employees are claiming they haven’t been paid.
And the brand’s offices in Manhattan were due to be repossessed over unpaid rent yesterday.
Georgina Chapman, 49, who is dating Oscar winner Adrien Brody, started her fashion label in 2004 while she was in a relationship with film producer Harvey Weinstein, whom she later married.
The #MeToo movement significantly impacted business after over 80 women accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, leading to his conviction. However, Chapman’s company survived, aided by support from friends like Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, allowing it to continue operating.
Last year, it became known that twelve different groups or people were taking the company to court, and the situation seems to have deteriorated further since then.
Sixteen former employees filed a lawsuit on January 15th, asking for a jury trial to get back wages they claim they are owed.
I can’t believe it! I’ve been following Marchesa and Georgina forever, and now I’m seeing reports that she and her brother Edward, who actually runs the company, were apparently constantly late paying people, or just… not paying them at all! It says they had a pattern of it, like it was normal, and it’s totally against New York law. I’m honestly shocked. It just doesn’t seem to fit with the image they’ve built, but the documents seem pretty clear about it. It’s devastating to hear.
The issues reportedly started in late July of last year, just four months after Kate Chapman, wearing a Marchesa gown, accompanied Adrien Brody on the Oscars red carpet. Apparently, he even gave her a piece of his used chewing gum before accepting his Best Actor award.
After that, claims emerged that payments were often late – by days or weeks – or weren’t made at all.
Oh my gosh, the team behind everything is just amazing! There’s the publicist who gets all the press, the VP who keeps the whole operation running smoothly, and the production manager who makes the magic happen. Then you’ve got all these incredible designers, plus the person who handles shipping everything worldwide! And someone specifically oversees the couture line, which is, like, my life. They also have an accounts receivable manager, which is important, I guess, but honestly, the best part is that they still have an intern who started way back in 2011! That’s so loyal, and it just shows how special this company is. I’m obsessed with every single person who makes this all possible!
The landlord of Marchesa’s Manhattan office building on 8th Avenue is taking legal action to evict the company. They claim Marchesa owes $1.4 million (about £1 million) in unpaid rent and bills and have received court approval to remove them from the space, which they’ve occupied since 2019.
The eviction case was originally filed last September, but Marchesa didn’t respond or hire legal representation. Because they didn’t challenge the landlord’s request, a court order was issued allowing the landlord to take back the property yesterday.
As a long-time follower of Marchesa, I was really disappointed to learn that they’re facing legal trouble. Apparently, a finance company called EN OD Capital filed a claim last October, saying Marchesa still owes them $220,000 – around £163,000. Now, a judge has officially issued a notice of default, which means things aren’t looking good and they haven’t yet addressed the debt.
To make matters worse, DHL, the delivery company, has filed a default notice, claiming they are owed approximately $12,700 (or £9,500) for unpaid shipping costs.
Although Chapman received $15 million in her divorce from Weinstein, it appears to be insufficient funding to launch a fashion line featuring gowns priced at over £5,000 each.
Last year, fashion journalist Lauren Sherman, writing for Puck, noted that the funding behind the Marchesa fashion brand was always unclear. While Harvey Weinstein claimed he wasn’t providing financial support, particularly in later years, questions remained about how the business was financed.
Marchesa was approached for a comment but did not respond.
Sydney the social climber
Sydney Sweeney, who has worked as both a boxer and a housekeeper, is now tackling the role of Undine Spragg, a character from Edith Wharton’s classic 1913 novel, The Custom of the Country.
In the upcoming film, 28-year-old Sydney Sweeney will portray a captivating but ambitious woman determined to rise to the top of New York society at the turn of the 20th century. Director Josie Rourke, who adapted the story, says she envisioned Sweeney in the role throughout the writing process, believing Edith Wharton may as well have written the part with her in mind.
Charles Finch, a film producer based in Mayfair, is making the film through his company, Rabbit’s Foot Films. He’s partnering with Alison Owen (known as Lily Allen’s mother) from Monumental, and StudioCanal is also involved in the production.
Work on the project will start later this year.
Loved-up Harry opts for relaxed ‘seven-city tour’
Harry Styles’ previous album was followed by a massive tour of 173 shows that spanned almost two years.
Okay, so here’s the scoop! My sources tell me he’s taking a really interesting approach with his new album, ‘Kiss All The Time.’ Instead of a massive, traditional tour, he’s opting for something more intimate – a limited run of shows in just seven cities. It feels like a smart move, focusing on creating special experiences for fans in key locations rather than spreading himself thin. I’m calling it ‘disco, occasionally’ – a little bit of fabulousness, but strategically placed!
From May to December, there will be 50 performances across seven cities: Amsterdam, London, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne, and Sydney. This includes 30 shows at Madison Square Garden in New York and six nights at Wembley Stadium, with Shania Twain opening for him.
As a lifestyle expert, I’m hearing Prince Harry and his team, including his girlfriend Zoe Kravitz, are switching things up! Instead of constantly being on the move and living out of hotels for months, they’re opting for a more comfortable setup – renting houses in different locations around the world. It sounds like they’re prioritizing a more relaxed and settled lifestyle, which is fantastic!
During his last tour, Harry Styles ended his relationship with director Olivia Wilde, and the difficulties of maintaining a romance while traveling were reportedly a factor. He briefly dated model Emily Ratajkowski afterward, but since August, he’s been seriously involved with Zoë Kravitz, daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz, and their relationship seems to be getting quite serious.
The pair were seen together in Rome before Christmas, where Styles is living while his home in Hampstead is being fully renovated.
Harry Styles released the first single from his upcoming album, Aperture, today. The album, produced by frequent collaborator Kid Harpoon, will be available on March 6th. Throughout his career with One Direction and as a solo artist, Styles has sold over 30 million records. This new release, titled ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,’ marks his fourth solo album.
Will Melania be box office gold?
President Trump claims a lot of people are eager to see the new documentary about his wife, Melania.
As a lifestyle expert, I’m excited about this upcoming film! It actually just sold for a record-breaking $40 million to Amazon MGM Studios. We’ll first get to see it in theaters on January 30th, and then it’ll be available to stream on Prime Video shortly after – definitely one to watch out for!
As a lifestyle expert, I’m keeping a close eye on the box office, and right now, things aren’t looking great for this new release. Honestly, ticket sales are incredibly slow. I’m seeing reports of almost empty theaters – the Landmark in DC only has two tickets sold for opening night, and even in Palm Beach, where the President and First Lady frequent, the CMX cinema has only sold eleven. It’s even worse across the pond! Here in the UK, the Vue in Fulham has zero tickets sold for either showing on January 30th, and a nearby Cineworld has only managed to sell four. It’s definitely a cause for concern!
The film documents the 20 days before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, focusing on his wife, Melania. It was directed by Brett Ratner, who faced numerous sexual misconduct and harassment allegations – which he denies – and subsequently stepped back from filmmaking for a period.
Industry analysts predict the film might earn $1 million during its opening weekend, but that estimate seems a bit high at the moment.
Presumably, it’s worth the hit to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, who attended the inauguration.
Netflix knows you’re not paying attention
Movie fans are getting a behind-the-scenes look at Netflix’s filmmaking process, and it’s a bit concerning. Matt Damon revealed that Netflix often requests plot points be repeated throughout their films, because they assume viewers are distracted by their phones while watching at home.
Okay, so I was listening to Matt Damon on Joe Rogan, and he dropped some insane insight into how Netflix operates. Apparently, they basically tell filmmakers to cram a huge action scene in right at the beginning – gotta grab you instantly, right? But here’s the kicker – they actually suggest repeating the plot points, like, three or four times in the dialogue! Can you believe it? He said it’s because everyone’s glued to their phones while they’re watching, so you have to constantly remind them what’s going on. It’s so cynical, but honestly? It makes perfect sense. They’re just catering to our short attention spans! I’ve been noticing it in everything I watch now, and it’s wild!
Damon’s new Netflix movie, The Rip, is a big-budget production costing $100 million and has been very popular with viewers (it also features Ben Affleck). However, the film seems to assume the audience can’t focus for very long.
Terry Jones, the beloved former member of Monty Python, who passed away in 2020, lent his voice to an upcoming animated movie.
As a bit of a film buff, I’m excited to share some news about a project featuring the late, wonderful Gareth Jones! He’s the voice of ‘Wish Watch’ in the upcoming animated film, The Land Of Sometimes, hitting theaters this March. It’s a bittersweet reveal, as I understand the dialogue for his character was actually recorded almost ten years ago, making this his final film role. It’s lovely to know his talent will live on in this magical world.
Oh my gosh, this movie! It’s got Helena Bonham Carter, Ewan McGregor, and Mel Brooks – can you believe it?! It’s all based on this amazing audiobook for kids that Francesca Longrigg originally wrote, and I’ve been obsessed with the audiobook for years, so I’m SO excited to finally see it come to life!
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2026-01-23 04:31