(Alex Perry and Alannah Hill) The fashion of the David Jones spring/summer launch last night. That was going to be the prepared topic of today's post, but in light of shocking comments made by designer Alannah Hill (above, right), I can't say I have too much to mention about the aesthetics of it all.
At last night's parade I'm more than positive everyone would have felt the presence of the "elephant in the room". That elephant being the current sexual harassment case filed by former David Jones employee Kristy Fraser-Kirk who is suing for $37 million in damages against ex CEO Mark McInnes. Kristy, it was announced yesterday, will use the money to set up a sexual harassment hotline for other employees of the department store.
On top of all this bad publicity for David Jones, designer Alannah Hill (who is carried by the retail giant) decided to give us all her valuable two-cents (can you sense my sarcasm?) by making ignorant, disgusting and disrespectful comments on the case during multiple interviews in the press pit.
She was quoted saying:
"I wish he'd have touched me up. I threw myself at him, threw myself at him! He told me he didn't want to mix business with pleasure."
"I would have gone back to that Bondi flat in a heartbeat. He could have bedded me but he chose the other one."
"I wouldn't be trying for $37 million, I would just be like, good."
"I wish I'd have been invited to the Bondi flat. I never got invited."
As far as damage control goes, Hill only further reveals really just how tasteless she is, even for a talented fashion designer. In a radio interview for FoxFM this morning she attempted to go about making an apology. In news papers and blogs, she was quoted diretly from the interview saying "[I feel] so bad, that I'm here with a priest. I'm here with a priest, I'm on my knees. I'm doing my confession." That's fantastic, Alannah, except how about next time you try it with a little more sincerity and conviction, and a little less and piss-take attitude. Your giggling kind of got in my way of actually believing you give a shit.
Ahh, Isn't context a bitch?
In a further bid to clean up her mess, Hill has agreed to hold a "sorry sale" (a suggestion by her ashamed and furious business partner) where half the proceeds made from the sale tomorrow will go to "some sort of women's shelter of sexual abuse (charity)," Hill said.
Can anyone else sense Hill's apathy? I mean, is it possible for this woman to care any less? Hill continues and talks about the other half of the "sorry" proceeds saying "I might pass them on to the nice girl with the hyphen in her name. I've forgotten her name." The nice girl of course being the woman she made such a joke out of only hours earlier.
I am personally infuriated. Not because I'm a victim of sexual harassment, or even know/know of victims, but for someone who is in the public eye to be so utterly careless and unapologetically egotistic is just plain insulting to a lover of fashion who admittedly looks up to these types of Australian designers. I certainly can't see myself walking into one of her boutiques any time soon...
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4 comments:
i couldn't have said it better myself. it's all a bit sick, really.
on a lighter note, let's catch up! are you and Leon free next Friday?
i'm dying to meet you!
xx jessy
This whole situation is just absolutely ridiculous. It's so sad when people in the public-eye have to make ignorant fools out of themselves.. partly because you just feel SO embarrassed for them. I mean this poor woman.. she just looks so stupid and unlikeable now! It pisses me off too, because it gives women a bad name.
and there's my short rant on that ;) thanks for posting this, though, very insightful.
Why should anyone in the ‘public eye’ have to care? She (Alana Hill) broke the mold of the pathetically sympathetic fashion crowd who were interviewed at DJs. Does anyone really care about ‘nice girl with the hyphen in her name’?
The smart slut would have put a stop to the sexual harassment as soon as it first occurred like any other strong and educated 21st century woman. Yet she was smart enough to drag out the situation to screw the bastard with a possible 37 million dollar payout.
I’m not taking sides or condoning the act of sexual harassment. I just think that there is a little bit more to the story. So what Alana Hill passed some comments that weren’t PC. The media thrives on this bullshit. I am passing no judgement towards any of the involved parties; I’m just taking a look at the situation from another perspective.
Well well! The above comment just confirmed the I don't give a fuck attitude! Try keeping your job with a creep For a boss! Not a nice situation to be in. ANYONE of substance would NEVER make such comments out of respect for all women who HAVE had terrible things happen to them. Just think for one minute how they felt when watching a leading Australian fashion desginer say what she did! I will never buy anything from her label again! She is an insult to all women. Thank you for this blog and the courage for your voice in the fashion industry! Bring on the next generation of designers out with the old attitudes and in with the new! The 80's was 20 or so years ago for goodness sake!
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