Not everyone was pleased with Valentino's gorgeous couture collection, which debuted in Rome on the legendary Spanish Steps on July 8. In fact, one Dior boutique said the show impacted their business due to all the crowds trying to get a peek at the designs (and the celebrity guests), and they're requesting 100,000€ (about $101,000) because of it.
As noted by WWD, the Dior boutique is located near the Steps and claims the show negatively impacted their foot traffic, even though Valentino claimed the splashy show would actually bring more customers in. The manager of the Christian Dior Italia store even wrote a letter to the esteemed couture house to make their point, saying that their customers were “refused access and blocked at the barriers" and the store “remained empty and could not operate from the early hours of the afternoon,” especially on a typically high-traffic Friday “a day when surely proceeds are [significant]."
In the letter, Dior asked for €100,000 to be paid in two weeks' time, and if Valentino doesn't cough up the money for allegedly disrupting their cash flow, they will “adopt all the necessary measures to protect its rights.” (Maybe Judge Judy needs to step in and help them clear things up before a catfight takes place on the runway.)
While we love nothing more than some good old fashioned fashion show drama, it appears that the two megabrands may be patching things up, alleged lost revenue and all. WWD also reports that some sources claimed Dior "retracted" the petty letter in question and is no longer demanding the massive fee for the trouble they claim to have experienced. You win some, you lose some, right?
