A lawsuit with an accessory prosecution for ‘exploiting weakness’ was filed in Paris on April 14 by the German painter and former partner of Azzedine Alaïa. It is about the successor to the Tunisian fashion designer who died in 2017, which is already the subject of an investigation, according to the plaintiff’s lawyers.
The lawsuit is now being examined
“Christoph von Weyhe, along with his niece Susanne von Weyhe, have filed a lawsuit with an accessory prosecution alleging ‘exploitation of weakness’ in the investigative court in Paris,” attorney Caroline Toby and attorney Jean-Philippe Ristori told AFP, who were thereby informed by La Lettre A confirmed. The lawsuit “is currently under review by the Court of Inquiry,” a court source told AFP.
The 85-year-old von Weyhe believes his poor health was used against him to put a leadership that was not to the fashion designer’s wishes at the helm of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, run by famous Italian gallery owner Carla Sozzani .
The painter and his niece, who is also his attorney-in-fact, had filed a simple lawsuit against unknown persons in August 2021 for ‘exploiting weakness’. After an analysis, the Paris public prosecutor’s office launched an investigation in September 2021 and transferred the investigation to the French police department responsible for such matters, the Brigade de Répression de la Délinquance Astucieuse (BRDA).
By filing a lawsuit with an accessory prosecution, the plaintiffs hope that a judicial investigation will be initiated and an investigating judge will be appointed.
Known for his timeless designs, Azzedine Alaïa was an admired figure in the fashion world. The discreet fashion designer, who often wore a Chinese suit, did without advertising and presented his shows according to his own calendar, away from the hectic fashion weeks.
In 2007 Azzedine Alaïa, together with Christoph von Weyhe, his partner at the time, and the renowned Italian gallerist Carla Sozzani, his closest friend, decided to set up a foundation in his name to preserve his work and legacy.
This foundation, which became the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, based in the Marais district of Paris, was recognized as a non-profit organization at the end of February 2020. According to the foundation’s website, Ms. Sozzani is the chair and Christoph von Weyhe is the deputy chair. (AFP)
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.fr. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ
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