Source: The Independent (London, England)
A leading fashion designer was forced to watch helplessly as a stolen collection of her hand-made clothes was sold for a fraction of its value on eBay. Jessica Ogden said she had notified both eBay and the police that her stolen clothes were being openly sold, but neither took action. Ogden has subsequently contacted all 16 people who had bought the hand-knitted items, telling them they were stolen. Only one replied, saying they did not support such activities, but made no attempt to return the garment.
The designer said that she was “heart-broken” to see the items being sold, adding: “It was ridiculous to watch people buying my clothes on eBay. I felt very bad about it because I don’t have some kind of production line – these are hand knitted for me and each one takes about two days to produce. It is a lot of time and effort for both myself and the knitters.”
“I stopped [an] auction, but I haven’t paid any money over. The Seller is waiting for me to pay,” she said. Only two of the stolen items have not been put up for sale. “But the Seller is still online, selling other clothes,” she added.
Some of Ogden’s items have sold for as high as $637 US. The Jamaican-born fashionista is recognized as one of Britain’s most innovative designers and regularly shows at London Fashion Week. One of her most recent clients is actress Sarah Jessica Parker.