A former personal shopper employed by Stella McCartney was being sought by police today on a charge of cutting up £20,000 worth of her ex-boyfriend’s designer clothes at his Chelsea flat.
Lucia Hajnikova, 28, who worked with the top designer’s VIP clients, failed to appear at Hammersmith magistrates’ court yesterday.
She is accused of taking a pair of scissors to Ege Akcasoy’s outfits and to have smashed a window at his £725,000 property.
The charge against Hajnikova — who gave her address as The Wapping Project, where she is said to be a gallery assistant — states that she destroyed clothing and other property worth £20,000 that belonged to Mr Akcasoy at his apartment in Gilston Road on July 22.
Last week she appeared in court for the second time on the charge and disputed the account of damage caused at the flat.
Yesterday magistrates issued a warrant without bail after hearing no explanation for her non-attendance at court. A member of staff said later: “The warrant will be circulated tonight.”
Hajnikova, who has a master’s degree in fine and studio arts from Chelsea College of Art and Design, previously worked as a designer and creative director for fashion label Pandora In Case.
She was also formerly employed as a showroom assistant for designer Gareth Pugh and as a studio assistant for Burberry.
Prosecutor Richard Doolan told the court: “The victim says the broken glass amounts to £750, plus damage to a wardrobe, a dinner jacket, tuxedo, winter coats, suits, shirts and ties.”
The accused’s lawyer Temi Johnson said: “She is alleged to have cut up a number of suits and a dress. They were designer suits but were four to six years old.”
Hajnikova’s LinkedIn account says she worked for British designer Stella McCartney from September 2014 for a year and describes her role as “building active relationships with VIP customers and driving pre-sales”.
The Metropolitan Police said today: “Lucia Hajnikova, a Slovakian national, was charged with criminal damage on July 23 and had been due to appear yesterday before Hammersmith magistrates’ court.
“She did not appear and the court issued a bench warrant for her arrest. Arrest inquiries will be carried out in the near future.”
