‘Dastardly’ Designer: Fashion Big Groped Me: Model’s Lawsuit
November 10, 2005
Dareh Gregorian
A would-be model was groped, fondled and subjected to Paris Hilton sex jokes
during a job interview with a well-known clothing designer, court papers
charge.
Now Alexander is suing Hakakian and his company, claiming her resistance of
his clumsy advances cost her the modeling job. "Nobody should have to go
through this, ever," said Alexander, 24.
Hakakian countered that Alexander "was never interviewed for any job. Period."
He said he would not comment further because he hadn't seen the suit, which
seeks unspecified monetary damages.
The aspiring actress says she was shopping at the Barami store on East 57th
Street in July 2004 when she was approached by a salesperson who asked her if
she would be interested in modeling.
She was later called in an interview with Hakakian at his West 36th Street office,
her suit says. That's where she was "violated and humiliated" by Hakakian's
"non-consensual, unwelcome, sex-based conduct," the suit claims.
The interview began with Hakakian offering her booze and "showing her
sexually offensive cartoons and illustrations on his computer," she claims.
He also showed her a "Saturday Night Live" skit involving Paris Hilton "that was
fraught with sexual innuendo," the suit says. He then allegedly asked her to try
on clothing for a photo shoot- but refused to leave her dressing room while she
was changing.
He fondled one of her breasts, and insisted that he had to help take the clothes
off her for fear "that she would ruin the samples." the suit says. "He then
commented that he was glad [she] was not wearing underwear and began to
kiss her lower back and fondle her buttocks."
