The fashion world was abuzz recently after the tear-filled, 8-minute long video from former JLM Couture wedding gown designer Hayley Paige hit Instagram and caused more than a little bit of a stir.
Referencing her time with the company, Hayley Paige Gutman’s outpouring has now landed her with a temporary restraining order after a judge in New York ruled that Gutman must return the logon information for JLM Couture’s social media back to the company itself.
In what is being called a “falsehood-packed” video, JLM Couture’s legal representation argues that Gutman’s intent to disparage JLM Couture.
Hayley Paige’s Instagram Allegations
Chief among Gutman’s allegations were that JLM Couture engaged in contract negotiations with the then-25-year-old without her having a lawyer present. JLM Couture’s legal counsel has since proven this charge to be categorically false. Describing their employment negotiation process as a series of steps and meetings, the company affirms that, throughout, Gutman was represented by a lawyer and that, further, the company would never engage in these kinds of negotiations without legal counsel present.
Gutman Alleges Attempted Hijack of “Her” Social Media Accounts
Further allegations from Gutman that JLM Couture was attempting to hijack her Instagram account were also proven false as the account, created for Hayley Paige brands, is owned by the company as well. This is due to a clause in the contract with Gutman that allowed the usage of the Hayley Paige name for commercial purposes.
Gutman then ignored the company’s requests for her to post appropriate content to the account, repost deleted content, and remove content that didn’t align with the Hayley Paige brand direction, yet none of these were heeded and she then proceeded to change the account passwords and remove JLM Couture’s access to its own social media accounts.
The tear-filled episode on Instagram also dredged up allegations that JLM Couture was somehow trying to control Gutman’s personal life. The company has since outlined how it was in the process of negotiating with Gutman on how to allow her to pursue other creative interests while maintaining her contractual commitments to the firm. With regard to Gutman’s compensation, JLM Couture argued that she was not only compensated per contract terms but also “exceedingly well.”
False Accusations About One-Sided Contract Negotiations
Finally, capping all of this, Gutman put forth allegations that JLM Couture had engaged in unfair, “one-sided” negotiations with her. To disprove this, the company described the negotiation process it had engaged in with Gutman and her counsel as well as how the issue of JLM’s ownership of the Hayley Paige brand could impact her.
As proof of this discussion and subsequent resolution of the issue, JLM Couture increased Gutman’s compensation for its use of the brand name. JLM’s press release cites examples in the fashion industry where the ownership of a brand bearing a designer’s own name has occurred, chief among them being Kate Spade and Bobbi Brown, both of which have launched new labels under new names.
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