Michael Lo Sordo’s fluid shapes and silhouettes have made him a favourite in the Australian fashion industry, but not everyone is fond of the designer, with contractors accusing the designer of not paying his bills.
From sample cutters to photographers and models, Michael Lo Sordo has had plenty of contractors claim that he hasn’t paid them for their work over the past two years, with some even suggesting that the Australian Fashion Chamber cut ties with him.
Photographer Steven Popovich is the latest to feel ripped off, saying he never saw the money for photographs he took for the label’s Resort 2015 collection earlier this year. “I gave Michael low-res images and very clearly stipulated, you cannot use any of these images until you have paid the bill. After not being paid, I ran into him before he went to Paris and he said, ‘I’ll pay it tonight.’ A week later he is in Paris and I have never seen the money,” he explained to The Sunday Telegraph.
Photo: Getty
“Yes, he is a nice guy and a talented fashion designer, but you can’t treat people like that,” Steven continued. “It is a bad reflection on them if they want to turn a blind eye to what he is doing. Yeah it was only $1,400 but I have a kid, I have family and I need to pay the bills.”
This is not the first time Michael has been asked to pay up, including the time when a contractor claimed that he owed her $40,000 for creating a range of trademark silk trench coats. He disputed the claims, saying, “The standard and quality of production, in this instance, was not met so the invoice is in dispute.”
Chic Management won a civil case against Michael following his showcase at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in 2014, after her failed to pay models who walked the runway for his namesake label.
Photo: IMAXTree
Dennis Gouskos cut for Michael last year and told The Sunday Telegraph that he was owed thousands from Michael, however, it wasn’t worthwhile for him to chase it up. “In my 30-plus years in the fashion industry I have never met anyone like him,” he said, noting that Michael’s support from the Australian Fashion Chamber is unjust. “It is a slap in the face to all us little plebs,” he said. “That is what irritates me about the Australian fashion industry backing him.”
[Via The Sunday Telegraph]
