[ad_1]
A glamorous designer who made a £56,000 engagement dress for the Duchess of Sussex is dressing the stars for the red carpet again – despite millions from former employees and the tax collector at her collapsed fashion house.
Tamara Ralph Before going into administration in 2021, he co-founded luxury label Ralph & Russo with his former business partner and boyfriend Michael Russo, with more than £20 million in unpaid debts.
The pair were accused in documents filed in the High Court of siphoning millions from the company in luxury lifestyles, with Mrs Ralph allegedly spending the company’s money on business class flights, luxury hotels, beauty treatments, yoga classes and underwear.
But now the Australian designer, who has denied the allegations, is once again dressing celebrities for red carpet events in a solo fashion venture. Lily James wore a stretchy white cut-out dress from Mrs Ralph’s private collection to the Baftas last Sunday.
The designer posted a photo of the Downton Abbey actress on Instagram after the event, with the caption: ‘Ethereal Lily James in Tamara Ralph Couture as Tamara Ralph Couture makes her mark at the Bafta Film Awards tonight.’
Two days before the ceremony, Ms Ralph launched a new fashion company, with the designer listed as sole director and all shares held in the Monaco-based company. The 41-year-old now lives in southern France with 44-year-old Banu Choudary, a billionaire financier and Liberal Democrat donor.
In the year Since launching in 2010, Ralph & Russo has become one of Britain’s most respected fashion houses, with clients including Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow.
However, in the year It went into administration in 2021, with Mrs Ralph blaming the epidemic. Since then, she and Mr Russo have been sued for allegedly raiding their lavish lifestyle at the fashion house before the company’s pension pot collapsed.
Former Ralph & Russo workers are still owed £364,781 in wages and holiday pay, although not all of it has been paid, according to administrators.
The collapsed fashion house owes almost £10.5 million to 337 creditors, including more than £2 million to HMRC.
Ms Ralph is being sued by the company’s administrators for £20.8 million in damages. She vehemently denied the allegation and said that she had repaid the money given to me by the corporate loan and that her company expenses were transparent.
Investigators are trying to trace the £60m flowed into the company since 2018, including a £17m loan from property developer Nick Candy’s investment company Candy Ventures Sarl.
This figure has now risen to £26 million with interest, according to the latest administrators’ report.
Last night, Mr Candy said: “Celebrities who choose to wear her designs will regret being associated with a tarnished brand”.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Ralph said: “One hundred percent of her former Ralph and Russo employees consider Ralph family and they are all excited to be working together again.” Ms. Ralph is working with her former suppliers who fully support her new venture.
Mrs. Ralph didn’t run the finance and business side, she was the creative director.
‘The company was sold to a retail e-commerce venture by secured lender Candy Ventures 18 months ago.
[ad_2]
Source link
