Top 10 Fashion Industry Scandals

Forget sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, anyone who has ever read The House of Gucci knows that when it comes to scandalous behavior, it’s the fashion world that can often be the most shocking. Here are 10 of the industry’s most salacious scandals. 

Gucci: In the early 1980s, one of Aldo Gucci‘s sons made financial documents public, ones that nearly sent his father to jail for tax fraud. In 1995, Maurizio Gucci was murdered, and in 1998, his ex-wife Patrizia was arrested for ordering the hit. There is so much scandal that surrounds the house of Gucci – not mentioning the tension between The Gucci Group and Tom Ford! – that buzz about a movie surfaced a few years ago, much to the dismay of Gucci, of course.

Naomi Campbell: The ultimate diva with the shortest fuse, Campbell was sued back in 2000 for allegedly beating an assistant. In 2003, she was sued for throwing a phone at another assistant. In 2006 – will she ever learn? – she was hit with a felony charge for throwing a phone at her housekeeper’s head. Most recently, in 2008, the supermodel was arrested inside Heathrow Airport on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, after one of her bags had been lost.

Versace: Plagued not only by the tragic death of Gianni Versace, the Versace family has dealt with countless personal battles, including Donatella Versace’s well-known, long battle with cocaine addiction.  

Dolce and Gabbana: The designers were charged with tax evasion in 2009. The case is still ongoing, after they received an 

 





indictment at the end of 2010.

Miley Cyrus: Prior to uproar about her dancing on a stripper pole, and before photographs were leaked of her doing illegal drugs, we got wind that Cyrus might be heading in the Britney Spears direction when she appeared half-naked in images shot by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair in 2008.

Terry Richardson: Famed for his envelope-pushing photographs, allegations of his sexual misconduct have raised more than a few eyebrows – especially when it was revealed that many fashion influencers were aware of his inappropriate behavior with some of his models, and still turned a blind eye. 

American Apparel: Whether it’s lawsuits against founder Dov Charney, bankruptcy woes, or outrage over controversial advertising campaigns and unspoken hiring policies, American Apparel has been a non-stop scandal machine, and shows no sign of stopping – unless they really do go bankrupt and close shop! 

Kate Moss: After the Daily Mirror ran a front-page image of the supermodel snorting several lines of a white powder (presumably cocaine), the model’s career was believed to be over. She was dropped by H&M, Chanel, and Burberry. However, she held onto Dior, and soon landed a number of major glossy covers. She also found a slew of supporters in the industry, including Alexander McQueen, who wore a “We love you Kate” shirt when taking his final runway walk. Now, six years later and with several successful Topshop collections under her belt, Moss is bigger than ever.

Winona Ryder: Talk about a love for fashion. It’s been a decade, and it’s still hard to forget Ryder was arrested for shoplifting over $5,000 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills back in 2001.

Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake: Who can forget the malfunction seen around the world during the 2004 Superbowl half-time show when Timberlake “accidentally” exposed Jackson’s breast while performing?  


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