Prominent Sydney designer Lillian Khallouf is urging an unhappy customer to come to a ‘reasonable’ resolution after they vowed to take her to a tribunal.
Khallouf, whose couture gowns have been worn by the likes of Jennifer Hawkins, Pip Edwards and Tammy Hembrow, has been accused by a woman named Rasha Hassan of providing two ‘defective’ dresses prior to an engagement party.
Khallouf stands by the ‘craftsmanship and quality of the garments delivered’ but has offered Hassan a full refund ‘in good faith’.
However, Hassan, not satisfied by the offer of a refund by Khallouf, is seeking $25,000, which she says she intends to pursue with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Khallouf’s team said this week they had not received a formal NCAT claim, but ‘would welcome the opportunity for the matter to be assessed in a fair and balanced forum should it proceed’.
The saga began in February when Hassan began sharing posts on Instagram and TikTok making allegations against an unnamed Sydney designer.
She claimed she had ordered two dresses from this designer in November to be worn at her daughter’s engagement party on February 13.
Prominent Sydney designer Lillian Khallouf (pictured) is facing a $25,000 tribunal claim after a customer claimed an engagement dress arrived with ‘defects’ hours before the event
Rasha Hassan (pictured) ordered two couture dresses for her daughter’s engagement party, one of which she claimed arrived with ‘defects’ and the other she claimed was ‘falling apart’
While waiting for the dresses to arrive, Hassan claimed she purchased back-up gowns in the event they were not delivered.
Of the two dresses made by Khallouf, one white gown was to be worn by Hassan herself, while the second cream dress was intended for her daughter Lila.
Hassan claimed the white dress, which she said she had paid $4,900 for, began ‘falling apart’ at the party. She has released video that she claims backs this up.
Meanwhile, her daughter Lila’s dress, which cost $6,840, was intended to be a lace corset look with a sleek skirt made from layered tassels.
Hassan claimed the frock did not meet the quality she expected, showing photos of the dress with uneven and crumpled tassels.
She said she had to use a GHD straightener to fix the appearance of the tassels, but was still not satisfied with the quality of the design.
Hassan claims that, before the party, she spent thousands sourcing and purchasing replacement gowns and jewellery because she was not confident Khallouf’s dresses would arrive on time.
The price of these replacements figures into the amount she is seeking.
Of the two dresses made by Khallouf, one white gown was to be worn by Hassan herself, while the second cream dress was intended for her daughter Lila. Hassan claimed her white dress, which she said she paid $4,900 for, began ‘falling apart’ at the party
Meanwhile, her daughter Lila’s dress, which cost $6,840, was intended to be a lace corset look with a sleek skirt made of layered tassels. Hassan claimed the frock did not meet the quality she expected of the designer, showing photos of the dress with uneven and crumpled tassels
Hassan shared a clip that showed part of the white dress coming off and being pinned back on
After her initial complaints began to circulate online, Hassan went on to share more posts about the saga in March, saying Khallouf – who she named last Saturday – had sent her a legal notice about her posts and offered a refund.
However, by this stage, Hassan said she was no longer satisfied with a refund and was now seeking to recover $25,323.11 from Khallouf – a sum that allegedly covers the cost of the back-up dresses and a refund for the custom-made gowns provided by Khallouf.
Hassan claims she will lodge her documents with NCAT next week under Australian Consumer Law.
In the latest twist to the saga, Khallouf has denied the mother’s accusations about the quality of the dresses, as well as other claims Hassan has made online.
‘We stand by the craftsmanship and quality of the garments delivered,’ Khallouf told the Daily Mail in a statement on Friday.
‘We remain focused on resolving the matter in a fair and reasonable way.
Hassan claimed she was not satisfied by the quality of the design
Hassan’s photos of the dress she received have been shared widely online
Designer-to-the-stars Khallouf is pictured with model and socialite Simone Holtznagel
‘A full refund has been offered multiple times in writing, in good faith, and that remains our position.
‘The amount now being sought extends beyond that and does not represent a reasonable resolution.’
Khallouf said she had ‘remained engaged throughout and continued to communicate openly with the client, with the aim of reaching a resolution’.
‘Our approach throughout has been to communicate respectfully and professionally, with a focus on resolving the matter directly with the client,’ she added.
‘At all times, our priority has been to work towards a fair and reasonable outcome.’
