According to reports in Japan Times online and London Telegraph the CEO of Prada Japan appears to have a low tolerance for employees who don't project the company look.

A discrimination and harassment case has been brought against Prada by Rina Bovrisse who worked as a senior retail manager at Prada Japan. Bovrisse has 18 years experience in the international fashion industry. She oversaw 500 staff in 40 stores across Japan.

Her allegations center on an incident last May when she claims the chief executive made a request that she "eliminate" 15 managerial staff who he characterized as "old, fat, ugly, disgusting or not having the Prada look". Following these demands 13 staff members are said to have received demotional transfers from senior Human Resources manager Hiroyuki Takahashi with poor sales cited as the reason. Bovrisse says that most of them chose to resign.

According to Rina Bovrisse the shops run by a number of the targeted staff members ranked among the top ten in Japan sales. She said: "The level of harassment is beyond human understanding. My responsibility is to protect hardworking women and make sure their working environment is safe."

Bovrisse claims that she was made a target herself. She says that Takahashi summoned her to a meeting on September 29 and told her that CEO Davide Sesia wanted her to "change her hair style, to lose weight, and that Sesia is so ashamed of Bovrisse's ugliness, he doesn't want visitors from Italy to see her."

According to written testimonies submitted to the court, Sesia also instructed Takahashi to ask Bovrisse to change her hair color from bleached blond. Bovrisse denies her hair was ever 'bleached blond' and says she has submitted photos from the time she worked at Prada Japan to demonstrate this was the case.

In bringing her case, Bovrisse also alleges that store staff were required to purchase handbags with their own money. This claim was supported by written testimonies filed by the court.

Japan Times:

... Prada's Aoyama shop manager, Chizuko Kawasaki, and the Ginza shop manager, Tomoko Ochiai, said in written testimony filed with the court Jan. 7 that they received a request, not an order, from Takahashi in August to have employees buy Prada products.

And a former regional shop manager, requesting anonymity, said in her testimony filed with the court Feb. 7, "Takahashi has ordered me to buy Prada products, saying otherwise (the company) will cut employees in her shop. Such orders always came via telephone," according to copies of the court testimony.

The Japan Times report includes comments by Reiko Shirato, a Tokyo-based lawyer who specializes in workplace harassment cases. According to Ms Shirato it would be illegal for a fashion house to order the dismissal, demotion or unfavorable transfer of an employee on the grounds of physical appearance because that isn't the only relevant job requirement.

Reiko Shirato: "Even though good-looking shop clerks may arguably be a plus for Prada's business, elements other than appearance are also important... Prada employees are not fashion models."

Following her complaint to Prada's head office in Milan, Bovrisse was placed on involuntary leave. She claims that Sesia told her she was being fired for "bringing negative energy to the company by reporting harassment to Milan."

Bovrisse's complaint is being handled by an industrial tribunal in Tokyo. The process allows both sides to try and reach a court-mediated settlement. If this proves impossible, judges can recommend settlement terms.

March 13 Update: Rina Bovrisse failed to reach a settlement with Prada in her case alleging unfair dismissal. She told the Japan Times that she is preparing to take further legal action: "I am planning to collect more witnesses and file a lawsuit as soon as possible."