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We speak to husband of designer in latest Gavin Rajah scandal

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As Women24 previously reported, after discovering the screenshots of a Harayer magazine interview with Gavin Rajah, Liu posted images of what she says are her original designs on her personal Facebook account alongside the screenshots. She accused Rajah of stealing her designs and trying to pass them off as his own in the interview.

A second Facebook post on Liu’s page contains a screenshot that appears to be from Rajah himself threatening to get in touch with the US Immigration Service as Liu is not a naturalised US citizen.

Women24 contacted Liu to ask about her previous collaboration with Rajah and her accusations against him now. Her husband, Marc Janke, responded on her behalf.

According to Janke, Liu and Rajah were planning to launch a bridal line together called Ready to Wed, but the dresses featured in the show in June 2015 were designed by Liu specifically for that show which featured only her original designs. “Gavin has no right to use these images. Ready to Wed was planned to launch later. Obviously that business venture never started and is no longer possible. The website for Ready to Wed does not exist and never did as far as we know,” said Janke in an email.

Janke says he and Liu did not know of the previous accusations of plagiarism against Rajah and they “regret” not doing their homework “since the evidence is there.”

“The first time we felt something was really wrong was when some of the dresses were not at the June 25 event,” says Janke. “Two days before we arrived in Cape Town, Gavin said that 4 of Chelsea's best dresses were still in Paris because his photography team had not yet returned from Paris to Cape Town.”

Janke says that this was the first time he and Liu felt that there was something wrong, but they had no choice but to come to Cape Town and work with what they had because flights had been booked, 50% of their invoice had been paid and the venue was paid for. “At that time, we also respected Gavin very much and believed he was helping us,” he says.

Janke and Liu have previously filed a court case against Rajah, but withdrew it after what they say were constant delays from Rajah’s lawyers and their own family obligations. “We don't want money. We just want people to know that he is a fraud and a bully, and that we are not afraid of him,”says Janke.

It is not known whether Rajah made good on his threat to contact the US Immigration office about Liu, but Janke says that he and his wife do not care “because we know that his threat is empty and ridiculous.”

Women24 called Gavin Rajah's offices to ask for a response to the accusations by Liu. We were told Rajah is currently out of the country travelling and is not available for comment.

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