Famous Accessory Designer Yujinia Kim
Dismissed Employee Files Civil Lawsuit
A Korean-American designer in New York, who counts pop stars Beyonc? and Madonna among her clients, has been sued by a former employee she fired. The employee claims the designer made racist remarks.
On the 1st (local time), foreign media including the New York Post reported that Bridget Sena, who was fired by accessory designer Eugenia Kim, filed a civil lawsuit in a New York court. Plaintiff Sena alleges that during the preparation to launch a tennis fashion line, she was treated unfairly by Eugenia Kim and was eventually fired. Sena had expressed her intention to feature a plus-size Black model in the tennis fashion advertisement, which reportedly angered and provoked Kim.
Pop star Madonna (center) is wearing a hat by Eugenia Kim. [Image source=Madonna Instagram capture, Yonhap News]
According to the complaint, Kim opposed the use of a Black model, saying, "I play tennis every day but have never seen a Black person. Except for Serena Williams, it is unimaginable for a Black person to play tennis." When Sena argued that diversity was necessary to promote the new fashion line, Kim dismissed it by saying, "People who play tennis are white, blonde, and thin."
Afterward, Sena continued to raise concerns about hiring Black models and was excluded from key duties. She claims she was falsely accused of leaking company information in June and was subsequently fired. The specific demands of plaintiff Sena against Kim have not been disclosed.
In response, a spokesperson for Kim’s company stated, "Sena was terminated for just cause," adding, "Our company, run by a minority woman, does not discriminate based on race, gender, gender identity, skin color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other factor, and enforces a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of discrimination."
Kim, who comes from a Korean immigrant family, is a renowned designer known in the New York fashion scene for her unique hat designs.
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