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Source: ONE News
Australian fashion designer Alannah Hill has described the David Jones sexual harassment case as a "glitch" and says she wishes former chief executive Mark McInnes had "touched me up".
In a bizarre attempt to publicly stick up for the department store which stocks her designer garments, Hill told reporters she had a crush on McInnes, saying she "threw myself at him".
Speaking at the store's spring/summer 2010/11 collection launch, Hill, famous for her ultra-feminine designs, showed signs of poor taste when asked to comment about the the scandal which has enveloped the upmarket retailer.
"I've sort of got a crush on Mark McInnes ... I've had a crush on him for four years. I wanted to be the girl who lived in the Bondi flat," she told reporters.
"I wish he'd have touched me up. I threw myself at him, threw myself at him. He told me he didn't want to mix business with pleasure."
Fellow designer Alex Perry, who accompanied Hill into the event, tried to change the subject by asking her what colour dresses she had on the runway this season.
Before she had a chance to reply, a reporter asked Hill if she was the "brunette" referred to in former publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk's $A37 million lawsuit against the retail giant.
Among her allegations, Fraser-Kirk says McInnes phoned her a day after a work function asking to meet with her for dinner or a drink, saying: "I could have had guaranteed sex with that brunette last night but I wanted you."
The reporter's question prompted Hill to press on with her comments.
"Yes I was the brunette, yes, yes I was the brunette," Hill said.
"He could have bedded me but he chose the other one," she adding, laughing.
"I mean, can you imagine that," Perry chimed in.
"I know, why would he chose her over me?" Hill continued.
Hill and Perry did also describe the store as an "iconic brand" that would survive the scandal.
"It'll be a little glitch and then we'll move on from it," Hill said before launching into her misguided comments.
