Taking on Chanel

Carmen Colle creates painstakingly detailed knitwear and crochet for Europe’s top designers.

Carmen Colle is a former steelworker who worked her way up to become a luxury hand-stitcher for some of Europe’s top fashion houses.

Now she has decided to sue Chanel for €3.3million in damages for alleged counterfeiting and €2million for breach of contract.

The claim comes after she spotted a cardigan bearing a crochet design which she says her company submitted to Chanel as an idea – and which they turned down.

Chanel stridently denies the claim and is counter-suing Colle for €500,000 (£340,000) for “moral prejudice” and tarnishing the company’s image.

People & Power reports on a case unheard of in Paris, where fashion super-brands are litigious in stamping out imitators.

This episode of People & Power aired from Sunday 08 July 2007.

Watch Part One here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv0Loqhuz78

Watch Part Two here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9KUFgMYhNk

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