Ritu Beri, who made waves earlier this year with her book Firefly: A Fairytale, priced at Rs 1 lakh (no, that isn’t a misprint), and said it would only sell at Louis Vuitton outlets, is headed to fill up some more newsprint. New Delhi’s high-flying fashionista Beri owes the Fashion Design Council of India close to Rs 1.5 lakh in dues and unpaid membership fees.
As a result, the council had cancelled her membership and is now even considering legal recourse to recover that money.
Beri, however, dismisses the issue as “petty and unfortunate.” She blames the controversy on having sided with the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai, over which the title sponsor and the council had split last year.
She says, “I never understood the council’s problem. The issue started when they thought I might be a part of the Lakme show. They haven’t talked about these dues for all these years. This is very petty and unfortunate. I have no tussle with the council, I feel sad about the immaturity of some designers who are part of it.”
According to a source, the council had sent Beri numerous reminders for the dues, spread over two years. Her membership was eventually terminated.
Rathi Vinay Jha, director general of the council, refused to comment on whether it would pursue the legal option.
{{/usCountry}}Rathi Vinay Jha, director general of the council, refused to comment on whether it would pursue the legal option.
{{/usCountry}}She said, “The FDCI is an industry council and treats all its members equally. Her (Beri’s) membership was terminated as would have been for any other defaulter. Designers must learn to be law abiding.”
E-mail author: kabeer.sharma@hindustantimes.com