Johannesburg -
Gavin Rajah is in trouble again.
The fashion designer with an alleged reputation for copying designs from his peers is embroiled in yet another copycat scandal.
This time it’s with New York-based designer Chelsea Liu, who called out Rajah for allegedly using pictures of her designs as his own in a feature in an English-Arabic magazine, Harayer.
On Facebook, Liu wrote on Thursday: “Oh my god. What a shame! South Africa designer Gavin Rajah stole my pictures and my designs for his interview. I don’t know why this magazine doesn’t check its sources! Feel free to sue me. I’m ready to play. You are ready to play. Let’s play.”
She paired the post with her original pictures and the pictures that were used which now had Rajah’s name on them.
Liu, who specialises in wedding gowns, launched a partnership with Rajah, which they announce in June last year.
Instead of responding to Liu directly, Rajah emailed her husband, Marc Janke, writing: “Hi Marc, I am writing this email only as a courtesy. In fact I write this out of respect for you. Should Chelsea not remove all her malicious posts on Facebook, we intend sending an urgent application to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service via the US Consulate by our attorney today in SA illustrating our intent to pursue damages and a charge of cyber-bullying.
“The implications for green card holders and individuals not naturalised in the US are dire, given this behaviour, I am sure you are aware of. She has until 14h00 SA time to remove this. There are other legal methods of recourse and/or forms of discussion, but as usual Chelsea would prefer her irrational behaviour.”
Liu did not remove the post, but instead put a screen grab of the email and wrote another post.
Liu’s husband said this wasn’t the first time they’ve experienced foul play from Rajah.
“The first time we felt something was really wrong was when some of the dresses were not at the June 25 event. Two days before we arrived in Cape Town, Gavin said four of Chelsea’s best dresses were still in Paris, because his photography team had not yet returned from Paris to Cape Town. At that time, we also respected Gavin very much and believed he was helping us,” he said.
Liu and Janke have filed a court case against Rajah. “We don’t want money. We just want people to know he is a fraud and a bully, and that we are not afraid of him,” Janke said.
In a statement issued through his lawyer Rajah denied the claims saying they were unfounded and defamatory.
LERATO MBANGENI, The Star