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A charming designer of Megan Markle’s £ 56,000 engagement dress has been accused of wasting her company’s cash on booking luxury lingerie and an expensive hair salon before it collapsed.
A document released by the High Court contains a surprising new claim that Australian Tamara Ralph and her former business partner Michael Russo “enriched themselves” before the fashion label hit the wall in March. It is detailed.
Ralph & Russo is famous for designing stunning haute couture gowns for stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Kylie Minogue.
Ralph says her director’s loan was used as an “appropriate accounting mechanism” rather than to withdraw money from the company.She said she wasn’t given enough details about spending lingerie to be able to handle it.
But earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday revealed how the pair was accused of looting a fashion house to fund the Jetset lifestyle.
Ralph, who has been sued for £ 20.8m in damages through the company’s manager, has violently denied the allegations. Currently, the newly released legal document submitted by the company alleges that:
- Ms. Ralph was an agent provocateur in Paris and spent over £ 300 on luxury lingerie and over £ 130 on eyelash treatment.
- Ralph’s “Weekly Blow Dry” spent more than £ 1,500 on his company’s credit card at the fashionable Larry King Hair Salon in South Kensington, London.
- Two of the fashion brand’s bosses refused to pay Ralph a £ 15,000 invoice to stay in a five-star hotel. She claimed to be discriminating against her because she was pregnant.
- Ms. Ralph complained that her £ 225,000 salary was “very low” for someone in her position. Ralph and Russo received high praise in December 2017 for designing the sheer gown that Megan Markle wore for her engagement. In less than four years, creditors and tax collectors were paid £ 23 million and the company collapsed.
In the witness statement, the company’s manager, Paul Appleton, accused Ralph and Russo of the collapse, adding:
Ms. Ralph rejected the claim, stating that the cash flow problem was “mainly” caused by Russo, accusing him of “sucking money from the company” and campaigning for “abuse bullying, harassment and sexism.” Exposed to.
The company’s lawyer, Dan Morrison, claimed that the £ 300 spent on Agent Provocateur was put into the company’s credit card and classified as a “loan” to Mr. Ralph.A model in Agent Provocateur lingerie can be seen above
Russo calls Ralph’s claim “misleading and false.”
The company’s lawyer, Dan Morrison, claimed that the £ 300 spent on Agent Provocateur was put into the company’s credit card and classified as a “loan” to Mr. Ralph.
When the company collapsed, Ralph was borrowing £ 195,436 on a board loan, while Russo was borrowing £ 2.6 million.
Ralph says her director’s loan was used as an “appropriate accounting mechanism” rather than to withdraw money from the company. She said she wasn’t given enough details about lingerie spending to accommodate.
She added that she was unaware that the company’s credit card was being used to treat eyelashes and only blow-dried the costs of interviews, photography, or meetings if a third party did not pay. rice field.
An email filed in court reveals tensions between Ms. Ralph and executives over the use of funds.
In November 2020, two bosses, Ralph & Russo, allegedly refused to pay a £ 15,000 invoice to stay at a five-star hotel in London. Ralph moved to Monaco to live with Banu Choudhry, an Indian billionaire boyfriend in the UK.
“This isn’t a matter of opinion, Tamara. It’s not a business trip,” wrote Robin Max, chief operating officer of the company.
Appleton claimed that Ralph had reported both bosses to the talent and “argued that she was discriminating against her because she was pregnant.” Eventually, the company paid the invoice, he added.
Her spokesman said a business trip-related bill at the company’s request while she was pregnant. He added that the costs were repaid to the company.
In February, a month before the label collapsed, Ralph was asked about his debt to the company. She agreed to repay the cash, but added:
Her spokesman claimed that Ms. Ralph did not believe her salary was low. She added that she was complaining of sexism and harm.
A charming designer of Megan Markle’s £ 56,000 engagement dress has been accused of wasting her company’s cash on booking luxury lingerie and an expensive hair salon before it collapsed.Harry and Megan can be seen in the engagement photo