African fashion star Alek Wek has been asked to return $10,000, sent to her to secure her appearance at Cape Town Fashion Week last month. After the failure to fulfill her duties as the Face of Cape Town Fashion Week and to showcase the garments created by 43 South African designers especially for her, LeisureworksGRC, the event organizer company, is demanding a refund. Sudanese supermodel missed a number of flights and did not give any explanation for not showing up at the event, which makes her in breach of contract.
"The original amount of $10 000 was agreed to by means of a contract," said LeisureworksGRC director Paul Jackson, as reports The Cape Argus.
Wek received the money weeks before the event and later, a few days before the fashion week start, asked for an additional $18 000.
"Leisureworks, reluctantly agreed to pay the additional requested fee, as a no-show would have had negative implications on the event," said Jackson.
But after finding out that Wek and her boyfriend had not boarded their flight from New York for the second time, LeisureworksGRC cancelled the last transfer.
LeisureworksGRC attorney Marette Kemp told a Sunday paper that the model had claimed the reason for her no-show in South Africa to be her not receiving payment.