Strutting A-list fashion designer in daring outfit suffers frenzied courthouse MALFUNCTION moments after appearing on charges of running sweatshop

A fashion designer to the stars suffered a series of undignified embarrassments after appearing in court accused of running a sweatshop.

Andrea Marshall, 44, attended New York County Criminal Court in Manhattan Wednesday in a stylish tailored outfit and daring low-cut blouse worn with no bra.

Marshall, whose Salon 1884 has dressed acting luminaries including actresses Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes and Julia Roberts, appeared calm throughout a procedural hearing that saw prosecutors and defense attorneys discuss her charges. 

It was quickly adjourned, with Marshall due back in court early next year. 

But the clotheshorse – who has been charged with making staff work 17-hour shifts for free and accused of bullying them, and who has pled not guilty – grew upset after the hearing concluded.

Dressed in a smart black high-waisted pantsuit, ivory blouse, mocha Adidas Handball Spezial sneakers and matching New York Yankees baseball cap, Marshall’s calm demeanor cracked on realizing she would be photographed as she left the courtroom.

Her facial expression instantly shifted from neutral to irate.  

Marshall then began strutting down the courthouse’s dark green terrazzo floor at an astonishingly high rate of speed.

Her hips swayed from side to side in a gait reminiscent of a top fashion model on a catwalk.

Bemused onlookers watched as the high-fashion tableau unfolded in the most unlikely of settings.

Asked for a comment by a Daily Mail reporter, Marshall began to walk faster still, while she and her attorney stonily ignored the question.

She picked up such a frenzied pace that she ended up missing the elevator she was supposed to catch, then gave a loud groan on realizing her error.  

The designer faces charges of grand larceny, scheme to defraud, effect of failure to secure compensation, and failure to pay wages in accordance with labor law.

She previously pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Marshall’s glossy look and bold strut were in marked contrast to a previous court appearance in June that saw her desperately attempt to hide her face from photographers while donning a Carolyn Bessette-style white man’s shirt with large open collar and gold Cartier LOVE bangle. 

She was indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which alleged the designer refused to pay nine of her employees as they worked shifts lasting up to 17 hours, bilking them out of approximately $54,000 in wages from August 2023 through June of this year.

At the same time, Marshall would subject her employees to a ‘culture marked by volatility, fear and manipulation’ as she would ‘berate workers and scream at them,’ Bragg alleged at a news conference. 

Marshall’s previous attorney Corey Briskin told the outlet he is ‘confident that the truth will prevail and that [his] client will be vindicated’ following a thorough investigation.

Marshall founded the sustainable fashion company in 2021, establishing a studio on West 39th Street in the Garment District.

Her designs have since sold for thousands of dollars through luxury retailers and online platforms like Neiman Marcus, Moda Operandi and Net-a-Porter.

But behind the scenes, prosecutors say, Marshall forced her seamstress to work ‘grueling hours’ with overnight shifts lasting between 12 and 17 hours.

Other employees were allegedly made to work more than 100 hours in one week.

This was not by mistake, DA Bragg said while announcing the charges, noting that Marshall set the schedule, required her employees to punch in and out, and determined their rates of pay.

When their work was then completed, Marshall allegedly delayed paying the employees as she provided them with ‘a series of shifting explanations and requirements,’ Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said. 

At times, she would issue nominal partial payments, propose installment plans she never honored, or offered clothing in lieu of the lost wages, prosecutors said.

Several employees were eventually able to win small claims judgments, but prosecutors say Marshall failed to pay those as well when announcing their case against her. 

Employees then tried to reach out directly to Marshall for their paychecks, prosecutors alleged. 

In text messages the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office uncovered, one worker allegedly resorted to asking Marshall for just half the money they were owed.

‘Miss Andrea, please can you pay me half,’ it read. ‘I really need to send money to Ecuador for my children. I really need it, miss, please help me,’ according to the text shared by DA Bragg when he unveiled his case against Marshall. 

The staffer then followed up two days later by sending the praying hands emoji.

Another text message from May showed an employee asking Marshall to ‘please… pay me something,’ according to Bragg. 

‘I need to send it to Ecuador,’ the worker wrote. ‘It’s for my son. Please, I’m asking you. He’s sick.’

A third text message showed Marshall apparently reprimanding an employee who requested payment, DA Bragg said.

‘You are not allowed in my office,’ she allegedly wrote. ‘I will mail you a check.’

‘She preyed on the significant power imbalance of her employees who relied on the promised wages for housing and basic living expenses, feared retaliation and lacked the financial resources to pursue legal recourse,’ Bragg said in a statement. 

‘Hard-working New Yorkers deserve every dollar they earn.’

Marshall also allegedly stiffed independent contractors who provided essential services for the company, including modeling agencies, a pattern maker and a hair stylist, Bragg said in a statement. 

As with her staff members, prosecutors say, Marshall repeatedly promised the contractors they would be paid and assured them that their payment was forthcoming, Bragg alleged.

Despite repeated collection efforts and legal demands, though, she allegedly failed to pay the contractors their outstanding balances, the district attorney claimed. 

The luxury fashion tycoon is further facing charges for failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance and failing to register the business with the Department of Labor.

If she is found guilty, Marshall could face up to 15 years behind bars. 

She is expected back in court on January 13.