Allison Andrews, APA Consulting, Fashion Week San Diego Allison Andrews Throws Sugar Couture out of Fashion Week San Diego Last minute on the Day of the show with no explination San Diego California
After several months of very hard work, time, money and energy Allison Andrews Founder and President of Fashion Week San Diego and APA Consulting banned me from the Fashion Week San Diego show the morning of the event, going as far as having security ban me from the event venue and sladering my name in public. She gave me no reason only that she made an "executive" decision. I told her she could not do that. We had a contract and she said "I just did" and hung up on me. I tried to call and get a reason why but my calls went un-returned. During the past several months she has also sent email blasts to all of the other designers with this event outlining our confidential agreement this is the email she sent to all participating designers "fromAllison Andrews
toAllison Andrews
dateWed, Sep 10, 2008 at 2:43 PM
subjectlast email of the Day- updates
hide details Sep 10 Reply
Hello Designers-
I just met with Lizz Russell and she brought to my attention a detail that you all should be aware of. Sugar Couture hasn't paid any payments yet to show in Fashion Week San Diego due to her situations that came up when payments were due.
I did do an addendum to her contract to help work with in her situation. Her full payment is due on September 13th or she will not being showing.
So to see the interview in the Union Tribune today has come as quite a shock.
I apologies to all of you for being included in this and want you to know I will be handling this very seriously and will not let this effect Fashion Week anymore.
Thank you and the next emails I send will be specific on the postponed dates and bridge event details." Our agreements were to be confidential and Allison and I had come to an alternate agreement which she had forgotten about until I brought it to her attention following her email blast. We had burried the hatchet and I had dropped my rack of pieces off to her at her home at the time we had arranged on the day prior to the show. The next morning she called to tell me I was not showing. Allison had promised us all an event severly different than what she produced and collected money from most of the designers and sponsors including $15,000 from Motorola, $20,000 cash from her mother and close to $38,000 from desinger contributions, and an unknown amount ticket sales to the event, with price ranges from $35.00 to $400.00 per ticket. The venue she ended up using was free. What happened to the money is what we would all like to know. I do know that some of the funds were spent on her personal endevors. She sold tickets to minors to a 21+ event and they were not allowed in or refunded. She has stolen thousands from the San Diego community and it needs to be stopped and money refunded to all that were scammed.
Drea
San Diego, California
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Allison Andrews
San Diego,California,
U.S.A.
Allison Andrews, APA Consulting, Fashion Week San Diego Thruth against Slander of Business by Drea aka Sugar Couture
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, November 06, 2008
Hello I'm Allison Andrews. I'm owner of APA Consulting which was a sponsor of Fashion Week San Diego, which I also was the Director of.
I'm responding to this post by Andrea or Drea Hull/ Flemming aka Sugar Couture. This is complete slander and unprofessional on her part. This is not based on facts and business rather just her wanting to harm me.
The facts are that for several weeks leading to the Fashion Week San Diego event Sugar Couture Drea was not following her own request to me and the team at Fashion Week San Diego.
1. Drea could not pay a cent when the due date came around to her personal situation. I as a small business owner felt compelled by her convincing story. I was able to work with her on adjusting the payment dates to the later date she requested.
2. Then she couldn't make those dates and asked for another extension. I created an addendum to her contract for payment at that later date or I would own her whole collection.
3. After this I had to re-work Fashion Week San Diego dates and schedule to a personal injury (I broke my hip, fractured my pelvis in two places, and did nerve damage to my right shoulder and side). She took out a personal campaign against me, slandering me to the community and fellow designers. I still worked with her.
4. We had a meeting a couple weeks before the event- called by her, to ask for another adjustment that I only keep the eight looks that go down the runway not the full twenty two piece collection per the adjusted agreement. I agreed. Due to wanting no more conflict with her and I just wanted to see this thru. It was important with all the advertising and promotions spent that all the designers show as scheduled. At this meeting I took one of my business advisors to witness her and aid me in dealing with her.
5. She confirms with me that I will hear from her by 5pm that day for a final answer. At 4:45pm when I get no word from her I call her to follow up and she sends this email:
I am at the store so I will have to get back to you in a bit, I am glad that we had the opportunity to speak about all of this miscommunication, I was not out to get you in any way shape or form I am a too much of a "do what's right" kind of gal. I would LOVE to show in the show if it is everything you have said it will be, sounds beautiful, here is the thing I am having a hard time with...I put a lot of love and passion into this collection which is called "Astrid" after my daughter. I agreed to give it to you in terms of payment because I wanted to be a part of this. I went to all the meetings and helped promote and was part of this family, then when we had our individual designer meetings you told me "Not to sell my original collection" that it would make my boys rich someday. Then again I opened up to you at your home after your accident and you told me "dont worry about it" I understand that you paid a lot for this production but I have paid a lot and lost a lot including a piece of my family. So here is where I am perplexed. If I show and give you my collection that is all that is left of her and my way of dealing so to speak with the loss of her, or I give it to you and it is sold off piece by piece to people who do not have any clue and never will the meaning of this collection...I need the night to sleep on it. Sugar Couture on September 18th, 2008 at 6:56pm when she said she would call me by 5pm with answer.
6. I explain to her that I have worked with her personally enough and she has to play fair. This is a business and all other participants paid and followed the rules. I had bent over backwards more than enough for her. It was her choice pay the entrance fee or payment is the collection or don't show. She agreed and we keep moving forward.
7. The day before runway shows when clothing was to be dropped off she created a scene with my volunteer about issues she was still having about giving her collection after that was the agreement. A fellow designer even stepped in and told her to chill out. Oct.3, 2008
8. During that night of the Fashion Week San Diego kick off party a criminal, vandalized my car in front of my house. Windshield shattered. It would sit like that for, four days until after FWSD and I could get to it.
9. Based on phone calls and emails that I had received from her during the last months of FWSD. It was clear to me. The person capable of doing this was and or is Sugar Couture Drea.
10. Sugar Couture on the morning of Oct. 4th was dismissed from being a participant in Fashion Week San Diego. She was told by noon her full collection of 7 pieces would be in the Hyatt lobby for her to retrieve. It was an executive decision for the well fair of the event and its staff.
11. From that point the phone calls and threats from her came in.
12. I had to hired security for the well-being of the FWSD staff and myself. Even the Hyatt had their security as well. This was to make sure she would not disturb the event and the other designers who had worked and waited for this night.
13. The following day Oct.4th was the shopping part of Fashion Week San Diego and she again came to the property of the Hyatt to cause a scene and had to be removed.
14. The finale day she myspaced me saying silliy girl it's over.
15. That night with a guest at my house because I still felt threaten. She came over and VANDILISED my house with one rock and two bricks. The rock broke a table dcor item on my out door patio and the brick attempted to break my homes glass window. The other brick had a dress, I previously owned wrapped around it and was at my car. The driver (private) confessed to driving Andrea, Drea aka Sugar Couture to my house and she did the vandalism. Detective Snow with the San Diego Police Department handled the case.
16. One of the phone calls on the 5th has Drea aka Sugar Couture even stating criminal threats to my body.
17. This was such a strong case against her that the district attorney got involved and I filed for a restraining order which was granted on October 21st, 2008.
Reference to her allegations as how I ran Fashion Week San Diego:
1. All guest of Fashion Week who could not get into the venue for being under 21 were and have been refunded. Again this was a situation I was unaware of until noon the day of runway shows when security told me the KIN Lounge is zoned as a club. I did my best to have the general manager make exceptions- which he did his best. Ten under 21 individuals were let in and the rest could not be in the venue. We did our best with this situation.
2. Financial- these numbers she has claimed have no weight or fact. Sugar Couture has never had access to any of my business records or files. The fact of bring my family in to it also bares no weight. Many small businesses get a leg up from family loans, so I don't know why she would even state that as a negative.
3. No one was scammed. Everyone involved received the event they were told they would get. The event happened when all the odds were against it. Even when I the Director could not walk. It was a great success and the entire crowd left satisfied and happy- including designers and staff.
4. Remember this was an idea I took to reality. It was a first year business and event. Many challenges came up and you have to adjust accordingly. Some of them were economy, presidential election year, injury and new/ young business owners. As a small business owner, I did my best and at the end of the day we still got the results we all wanted. It was a success.
Note From Nina Garin 10/10/08 who did the article in the UT with Drea aka Sugar Couture wrapping up FWSD:
"Thank you for your letter, Allison.
I will talk to my editor about doing a follow up about what happened to you.
I'm sorry for everything you've been through. You certainly didn't let it show, as I said in the article, I thought the event itself was amazing.
I'll be in touch.
Nina"
Please feel free to contact me at:
www.fashionweeksd.com
www.fashionweeksd.com/blog
Allison Andrews
San Diego,California,
U.S.A.
Allison Andrews, APA Consulting, Fashion Week San Diego truth to slander about Business by Drea aka Sugar Couture
#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, November 05, 2008
Hello I'm Allison Andrews. I'm owner of APA Consulting which was a sponsor of Fashion Week San Diego, which I also was the Director of.
I'm responding to this post by Andrea or Drea Hull/ Flemming aka Sugar Couture. This is complete slander and unprofessional on her part. This is not based on facts and business rather just her wanting to harm me.
The facts are that for several weeks leading to the Fashion Week San Diego event Sugar Couture Drea was not following her own request to me and the team at Fashion Week San Diego.
1. Drea could not pay a cent when the due date came around to her personal situation. I as a small business owner felt compelled by her convincing story. I was able to work with her on adjusting the payment dates to the later date she requested.
2. Then she couldn't make those dates and asked for another extension. I created an addendum to her contract for payment at that later date or I would own her whole collection.
3. After this I had to re-work Fashion Week San Diego dates and schedule to a personal injury (I broke my hip, fractured my pelvis in two places, and did nerve damage to my right shoulder and side). She took out a personal campaign against me, slandering me to the community and fellow designers. I still worked with her.
4. We had a meeting a couple weeks before the event- called by her, to ask for another adjustment that I only keep the eight looks that go down the runway not the full twenty two piece collection per the adjusted agreement. I agreed. Due to wanting no more conflict with her and I just wanted to see this thru. It was important with all the advertising and promotions spent that all the designers show as scheduled. At this meeting I took one of my business advisors to witness her and aid me in dealing with her.
5. She confirms with me that I will hear from her by 5pm that day for a final answer. At 4:45pm when I get no word from her I call her to follow up and she sends this email:
I am at the store so I will have to get back to you in a bit, I am glad that we had the opportunity to speak about all of this miscommunication, I was not out to get you in any way shape or form I am a too much of a "do what's right" kind of gal. I would LOVE to show in the show if it is everything you have said it will be, sounds beautiful, here is the thing I am having a hard time with...I put a lot of love and passion into this collection which is called "Astrid" after my daughter. I agreed to give it to you in terms of payment because I wanted to be a part of this. I went to all the meetings and helped promote and was part of this family, then when we had our individual designer meetings you told me "Not to sell my original collection" that it would make my boys rich someday. Then again I opened up to you at your home after your accident and you told me "dont worry about it" I understand that you paid a lot for this production but I have paid a lot and lost a lot including a piece of my family. So here is where I am perplexed. If I show and give you my collection that is all that is left of her and my way of dealing so to speak with the loss of her, or I give it to you and it is sold off piece by piece to people who do not have any clue and never will the meaning of this collection...I need the night to sleep on it. Sugar Couture on September 18th, 2008 at 6:56pm when she said she would call me by 5pm with answer.
6. I explain to her that I have worked with her personally enough and she has to play fair. This is a business and all other participants paid and followed the rules. I had bent over backwards more than enough for her. It was her choice pay the entrance fee or payment is the collection or don't show. She agreed and we keep moving forward.
7. The day before runway shows when clothing was to be dropped off she created a scene with my volunteer about issues she was still having about giving her collection after that was the agreement. A fellow designer even stepped in and told her to chill out. Oct.3, 2008
8. During that night of the Fashion Week San Diego kick off party a criminal, vandalized my car in front of my house. Windshield shattered. It would sit like that for, four days until after FWSD and I could get to it.
9. Based on phone calls and emails that I had received from her during the last months of FWSD. It was clear to me. The person capable of doing this was and or is Sugar Couture Drea.
10. Sugar Couture on the morning of Oct. 4th was dismissed from being a participant in Fashion Week San Diego. She was told by noon her full collection of 7 pieces would be in the Hyatt lobby for her to retrieve. It was an executive decision for the well fair of the event and its staff.
11. From that point the phone calls and threats from her came in.
12. I had to hired security for the well-being of the FWSD staff and myself. Even the Hyatt had their security as well. This was to make sure she would not disturb the event and the other designers who had worked and waited for this night.
13. The following day Oct.4th was the shopping part of Fashion Week San Diego and she again came to the property of the Hyatt to cause a scene and had to be removed.
14. The finale day she myspaced me saying silliy girl it's over.
15. That night with a guest at my house because I still felt threaten. She came over and VANDILISED my house with one rock and two bricks. The rock broke a table dcor item on my out door patio and the brick attempted to break my homes glass window. The other brick had a dress, I previously owned wrapped around it and was at my car. The driver (private) confessed to driving Andrea, Drea aka Sugar Couture to my house and she did the vandalism. Detective Snow with the San Diego Police Department handled the case.
16. One of the phone calls on the 5th has Drea aka Sugar Couture even stating criminal threats to my body.
17. This was such a strong case against her that the district attorney got involved and I filed for a restraining order which was granted on October 21st, 2008.
Reference to her allegations as how I ran Fashion Week San Diego:
1. All guest of Fashion Week who could not get into the venue for being under 21 were and have been refunded. Again this was a situation I was unaware of until noon the day of runway shows when security told me the KIN Lounge is zoned as a club. I did my best to have the general manager make exceptions- which he did his best. Ten under 21 individuals were let in and the rest could not be in the venue. We did our best with this situation.
2. Financial- these numbers she has claimed have no weight or fact. Sugar Couture has never had access to any of my business records or files. The fact of bring my family in to it also bares no weight. Many small businesses get a leg up from family loans, so I don't know why she would even state that as a negative.
3. No one was scammed. Everyone involved received the event they were told they would get. The event happened when all the odds were against it. Even when I the Director could not walk. It was a great success and the entire crowd left satisfied and happy- including designers and staff.
4. Remember this was an idea I took to reality. It was a first year business and event. Many challenges came up and you have to adjust accordingly. Some of them were economy, presidential election year, injury and new/ young business owners. As a small business owner, I did my best and at the end of the day we still got the results we all wanted. It was a success.
Note From Nina Garin 10/10/08 who did the article in the UT with Drea aka Sugar Couture wrapping up FWSD:
"Thank you for your letter, Allison.
I will talk to my editor about doing a follow up about what happened to you.
I'm sorry for everything you've been through. You certainly didn't let it show, as I said in the article, I thought the event itself was amazing.
I'll be in touch.
I feel that any more articles and or stories aid to the conflict she has with me. I decline them. I'm about the facts, truth and jusitice. Not she said vs. she said.
Please feel free to contact me at:
www.fashionweeksd.com
www.fashionweeksd.com/blog