Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star and rival wedding dress maker in legal war over ‘stolen designs’
Thelma Madine, who starred on the Channel 4 show, claims her 'unique' designs were copied by two former employees
A BIG Fat Gypsy Weddings Star has appeared in court over claims a rival dress maker stole her ‘game-changing’ designs.
Thelma Madine claims her former head designer Leanne Phillips copied ideas for ‘unique’ giant wedding dresses.
Ms Phillips, 35, who also appeared on the hit TV show, was previously hailed by Ms Madine as a major “creative force” at her Liverpool-based traveller dress design shop, Nico.
But the pair fell out in 2012 after Ms Phillips was sacked and went on to set up her own rival dress design shop, Leanne Alexandra, also in Liverpool.
Ms Madine, 65, is now suing Ms Phillips and her mum Pauline Phillips – a former manager at Nico – claiming they ripped off one of her most iconic designs to make one of their own dresses.
She claims the pair also used her designs to create the “Crystal Princess Figurine,” one of a range of seven collectable porcelain figurines of girls in large dresses, which they planned to market in Ireland and beyond.
But Ms Phillips and her mum deny the accusations, insisting their dress – and the figurine – are original designs and that Ms Madine is the one guilty of copying.
Ashton Chantrielle, representing the Phillps’, told the court an “ongoing feud” began after Leanne was sacked in 2012 and successfully sued Ms Madine for unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal in 2013.
She told the High Court: “The crux of Ms Madine’s case is that Pauline Phillips stole the alleged Chenise dress drawings from Nico and gave them to Leanne.
“This is denied. Pauline never took any drawings and Leanne gives clear evidence of how she came up with the Leanne Dress and how she never had sight of the alleged Chenise dress drawings.
“It is admitted that the Leanne Dress is similar to the alleged Chenise dress design. However, it is not accepted that it was copied by Leanne Phillips. It was designed by Leanne Phillips.”
Representing Ms Madine, Thomas St Quentin said: “The case against Leanne is clear. She copied Ms Madine’s designs, and made the dress.
“That was an article made exactly or substantially to Ms Madine’s designs, or one of them. The denial of copying is ridiculous.
“Television producers decided to make a television programme about Ms Madine and her customers, because her dresses were so out of the ordinary.”
Judge Amanda Michaels has now reserved her decision on the case and is expected to give her ruling next month.
