HUGE FASHION FRAUDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21529, 29 December 1931, Page 8

HUGE FASHION FRAUDS

Conspiracy in paris TABS FOR BOGUS GOWNS. The world of the leading Paris fashion houses shook to its foundations on October 24 when it was revealed that a huge world-wide organisation for selling inferior copies of models, with forged name tabs, had been discovered. Following a raid by the police, 50,000 of the tabs were found hidden in an old cupboard on the premises of a firm of long standing. Some of them were absolute copies, while others ivere changed very slightly—not sufficient, however, to arouse any suspicion in the minds of customers in foreign countries. The false tabs ivere sold at prices ranging from, 50 to 100 francs (about 8s to 16s) each, and the traffic in them, as well as the copies of the models by well-known dressmakers, has apparently been going on for a number of years. It is assumed that the great fashion houses have thus sustained a loss running into many millions of francs. The revelation was made as the result of continued investigations by the fashion protection organisation, whose head M. Davin, had discovered that dresses of an inferior cut and material w r ere being sold at extortionate prices in all parts of. the world, with name tabs of famous firms sewn in them. Recently M. Davin called in the police, who arranged that a detective should go to a firm under suspicion and give an order for a quantity of material. On signing the contract this detective asked to see a collection of name tabs to choose from. He bought a quantity inscribed w’ith well-known names, and returned with his conclusive proofs to his chief, Inspector Legrande. The raid w r as then made. ft was also revealed that a factory In the south of France was making the material, another firm in Paris was printing them, while the house in Paris was being nsed-uis the central clearing house for world distribution. Further dramatic developments were expected, and charges of fraud were to be brought against a number of persons.