A delicate blonde with a taste for Harry Winston diamonds, British fashion designer Georgina Chapman has spent more than two decades on the red carpet.
First, she was by the side of the now-disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, whom she married in 2007.
Back then, of course, as the producer of hits such as Pulp Fiction he was the most powerful man in movies, with the ability to make or break careers. She was the young beauty on his arm, always immaculately dressed in stunning gowns from her own fashion label, Marchesa.
After Weinstein’s dramatic downfall in 2017 – more than 80 women accused him of assault, and he was later convicted of rape in a case that shocked Hollywood and sparked the Me Too movement – Chapman shrank from public view.
She quietly divorced Weinstein. Then, in time, there was a contrite interview with Vogue (Anna Wintour is a friend) in which she said she had no idea of her ex-husband’s disgusting proclivities.
It was soon after this that she re-emerged into public life as the consort of Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody.
Georgina Chapman (pictured in February) has spent more than two decades on the red carpet
Chapman married the now-disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein (pictured) when he was he was the most powerful man in movies
She re-emerged into public life as the consort of Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody (pictured)
The pair, who met through mutual friend supermodel Helena Christensen in 2019, now live together. And Chapman, 49, was at Brody’s side – in Marchesa, naturally – at the Oscars this March when he took home his second gong for his performance in The Brutalist.
Indeed, he paid tribute to her from the stage. ‘I share this with my amazing partner Georgina, who has not only reinvigorated my own self-worth, but my sense of value and my values,’ gushed Brody, 52.
Since then, though, Chapman has been keeping a suspiciously low profile and it looks like another spell out of the spotlight has begun.
For Chapman’s beloved label Marchesa could be in deep trouble, facing multiple lawsuits over allegations of unpaid bills.
Since November last year, at least 12 entities have sued Marchesa, Georgina Chapman, her brother Edward, who runs the business, or all three.
While it is not known how the Chapmans will respond to these claims, and which, if any, have foundation, these, it can be revealed, amount to at least $5 million worth of alleged debt.
Claimants include the landlords for the Manhattan office of Marchesa – which occupies two entire floors in a sought-after building – who claim they are owed more than $2 million in unpaid rent.
Only this week Square, a payment service, sued for non-payment of a $406,000 short-term loan.
Chapman (pictured in April) has been keeping a low profile of late and it looks like another spell out of the spotlight may have begun
Chapman was at Brody’s side at the Oscars this March (pictured) when he took home his second gong for his performance in The Brutalist
Court records show Georgina and Edward have defaulted on a mortgage they took out on their apartment in Greenwich village in 2022. They took out another $2 million on the property in February this year, even though the apartment is worth around $2.6 million.
Others saying they are owed money include photographers ($65,000) and embroiderers ($96,000). Georgina Chapman, Edward Chapman and Marchesa were approached for comment by the Daily Mail.
Ploughing through lawsuit upon lawsuit, all filed in the past three years, if they turn out to be valid, it appears that the financial strain has been enormous and unrelenting. And, although you can buy Marchesa dresses from its website, you may be doing so at your own risk.
For dozens of customers have complained that they’ve forked out money for its beautiful dresses recently and have not received what they have paid for.
One business website holds no fewer than 181 complaints about Marchesa (which, it must be stressed, we have been unable to verify).
The following, from July this year, says: ‘After placing the order, I never heard back from Marchesa. I paid in full and then nothing. I’ve tried reaching out through their website, via Instagram… No one has responded and I’m very frustrated.’
Another customer, who was waiting for a refund, said: ‘All I get is radio silence from them when I email. And still I have not received my refund of $2,542.’
Yet another says that they asked for a refund on a returned dress in January, and had received nothing by July. ‘I have read numerous complaints where the same thing has happened to others! This company should be ashamed. They are scammers.’
The fashion designer (pictured) is facing trouble with her beloved label Marchesa, which is facing multiple lawsuits over allegations of unpaid bills
Chapman (pictured) has not posted on social media since May this year and one publicist who used to work with her says that she is not responding to requests for comment
That is, surely, an overstatement but it appears that the company could be in trouble.
One indication of the apparent crisis enveloping the business is that emails are no longer delivered. A message is returned which runs: ‘The recipient’s mailbox is full and can’t accept messages now. Please try resending your message later, or contact the recipient directly.’
Georgina Chapman, who lives with Adrien Brody and the two children aged 15 and 12 she shares with Weinstein, in a massive $5million property in Bedford Hills, New York, has said nothing. She’s not posted on social media since May this year.
A publicist who used to work with her says that she is not responding to requests for comment. One source who worked with the company said this week: ‘I believe Georgina is going to do everything she can to protect the business’.
The source adds: ‘Georgina got all this money from her divorce, so where has all the money gone?’
It’s reported that Georgina got $15million in her divorce settlement but – as Victoria Beckham and her supportive husband David could tell you – that’s nowhere near enough to bankroll a fashion business, as respected fashion journalist Lauren Sherman, who writes for the online newsletter Puck, points out.
‘How Marchesa was financed was always a bit of a mystery… Weinstein denied that he was funnelling money to the business, especially towards the end. But the question persists: Who is paying for Marchesa?
‘Any operation that produces $5,000, $6,000, and $7,000 gowns for retailers – on top of creating custom pieces for private clients – needs a lot of cash.’ She added: ‘Like many fashion brands built on a certain type of vanity, (Marchesa) has mounting debts.’
Chapman lives with Brody (pictured together) and the two children she shares with Weinstein in a massive $5 million property in New York
Chapman said in a recent interview that Brody (pictured) is ‘very sensitive’ and ‘has a thin veil emotionally with the world’
In all of this, you can’t really fault Georgina Chapman’s drive and ambition.
Her father Brian Chapman is a British multi-millionaire who founded the Percol coffee brand and has houses in Wimbledon, South-West London and on the Isle of Wight. He is divorced from Georgina’s mother, Caroline, a journalist who worked for Reader’s Digest.
Georgina was a boarder at St David’s in Ashford, Surrey and also at Kate Middleton’s alma mater, Marlborough College. She was dyslexic, which was not diagnosed until she was eight and also suffered from a hip defect which gave her pigeon toes.
She left school to try modelling aged 17, and fell into acting. Early parts included a role in the 2003 TV adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s Sons And Lovers and in the Julian Fellowes film adaptation of Wodehouse’s Piccadilly Jim.
She met Weinstein at a party in New York in 2004, the year in which he split from his first wife Eve. (Weinstein and Eve had three daughters, the youngest of whom was only two at the time.)
At first, they were just dating ‘on and off’, though Georgina’s mother was said to have doubts even then about her beautiful young daughter getting involved with Weinstein, who was 24 years her senior and already infamous in the business as a swaggering bully.
Meanwhile, Georgina decided to leave the film business and took a foundation course at the Chelsea College of Art and Design. She started renting a studio and making clothes with her best friend Keren Craig. They named their fledgling label after Marchesa Louisa Casati, an Italian heiress and fashion icon who died in 1957.
Call it serendipity or clever networking thanks to her new high-profile boyfriend, but rather quickly, a series of timely leg-ups took place.
Chapman met Weinstein (pictured) at a party in New York in 2004, the year in which he split from his first wife Eve
Chapman (pictured) married Weinstein at his waterfront Connecticut estate before a star-studded crowd
Swarovkski sponsored them, they met with the iconic Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe, and Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon gave them advice on getting onto the red carpet. In November 2004 came a pivotal moment. Renée Zellweger, usually a fan of Carolina Herrera, wore a Marchesa dress to the London premiere of Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason.
Zellweger said: ‘This is a new British designer, it’s Marchesa. It’s weighted and hand-embroidered. I just love it so much.’
The fact that Weinstein’s new girlfriend made it may just have helped. After all, Weinstein was not only the producer of the Bridget Jones film, he was, at the time, the most powerful man in Hollywood.
After Renee’s promotion of the label, the leading New York department store Neiman Marcus offered to stock Marchesa in its stores and to help the company create a diffusion line. Georgina moved to New York.
The speed with which Marchesa was a success raised some eyebrows. In 2006, the Los Angeles Times published an article titled The Harvey Factor which observed: ‘Competitors complain that Marchesa dresses are worn on the red carpet because the stars – and their agents, managers and lawyers – need to please the powerful Weinstein. Say the word ‘Marchesa’ and publicists groan.’
Naturally, Harvey – who married Georgina in December 2007 at his waterfront Connecticut estate before a star-studded crowd that included Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Renée Zellweger – was among the first investors in the nascent business.
The New York Times reported that he made ‘timely contributions in amounts the company would not disclose’.
Another backer was a good friend of Weinstein’s – Giuseppe Cipriani, grandson of the legendary restaurateur.
Since November last year, at least 12 entities have sued Marchesa, Chapman (pictured), her brother Edward, who runs the business, or all three
It was at Cipriani’s New York bar Socialista in 2007 that journalist Lauren Sivan encountered Weinstein. She had dinner with Cipriani and Weinstein before the producer suggested he show her the restaurant downstairs. She claimed he then cornered her – and masturbated into a plant pot.
Guiseppe Cipriani denied the incident took place at his bar. ‘To my knowledge, no incident occurred at the premises on the night in question and nobody complained about, or reported any such alleged incident to me.’
But Ms Sivan later described Cipriani’s restaurants as Weinstein’s ‘hunting grounds’ and indeed at least three other allegations of assault by Weinstein were claimed to have taken place at properties owned by Cipriani.
Cipriani has denied knowing about any assault or other wrongdoing at the time.
Meanwhile, with Cipriani’s money, and Harvey’s encouragement, the Marchesa brand became popular.
Cate Blanchett wore a Marchesa mini to the Rome premiere of The Aviator while Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Diane Kruger also graced the red carpet in the gowns.
The label was named Red Carpet Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2007.
But this success came to a screeching halt in 2017 when the New York Times published its exposé accusing Weinstein of paying off sexual harassment accusers for decades.
With Giuseppe Cipriani’s money, and the encouragement of Weinstein (pictured), the Marchesa brand became popular
The fashion designer (pictured) was delighted when her label was named Red Carpet Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2007
Chapman cancelled her fashion show and released a statement which ran: ‘My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. I have chosen to leave my husband.’
In the immediate aftermath, things looked bleak. #BoycottMarchesa began trending on Twitter. A New York fashion publicist was quoted as saying: ‘No star is ever going to want to wear the brand again.’
Georgina retreated to London with the children.
In 2018 she gave that interview to Vogue and said: ‘There was a part of me that was terribly naive — clearly, so naive. I have moments of rage, I have moments of confusion, I have moments of disbelief. And I have moments when I just cry for my children. What are their lives going to be? What are people going to say to them? It’s like, they love their dad. They love him. I just can’t bear it for them.’
She went on to say she ‘never knew.’ ‘That’s what makes this so incredibly painful: I had what I thought was a very happy marriage. I loved my life.’
A few months later, Vogue ran a piece asking if it was time to start wearing Marchesa again and soon after, Dame Anna herself told The Late Show: ‘Georgina is a brilliant designer and I don’t think she should be blamed for her husband’s behaviour.’
Chapman (pictured) announced she had left Weinstein after the New York Times published its exposé accusing him of paying off sexual harassment accusers for decades
But not all the A-list rushed back, and in 2019 co-founder Keren Craig quit the company.
Georgina did not give up and until this spring, she has produced four collections a year, all unveiled online. In Marchesa’s heyday, there were catwalk shows in London and New York.
Although the company did not post sales or profits figures, her people claimed that business was ‘doing well’ and Marchesa’s annual revenue was estimated at $38.5 million.
She has clearly now found love and happiness with a man whom she describes as ‘a sensitive introvert at heart’.
In another interview with Vogue, she said of Adrien Brody: ‘Anything that comes into his life gets held. It’s painful, good and bad, but he’s able to draw on this enormous universe inside him. He’s very sensitive, he has a thin veil emotionally with the world.’
There couldn’t be a greater contrast with her bullying first husband. But only time will tell if the devoted couple can weather this new storm.
