Aussie designer clarifies Rosmah shopping reports

By Debra Chong

January 25, 2012

A screenshot of Carl Kapp's press release to The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Sydney-based fashion designer Carl Kapp, drawn into controversial claims that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor spent A$100,000 (RM325,000) on a shopping trip in Australia earlier this month, clarified today that he had never specified the amount spent in his store.

The South African-born Kapp acknowledged that the prime minister’s wife had visited his store in Paddington, Sydney as published recently in the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The party of Datin Sri (Seri) Rosmah came to our store in a sizeable group, and during their visit, members of the party, including friends and the Chairman and organiser of Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) separately made various purchases,” he said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider today.

“I believe Datin Sri Rosmah is the patron for this Islamic Fashion Festival.

“The article also stated that I alluded to being ‘flown to Malaysia next month’ solely for the benefit of the Prime Minister’s wife.

“This is also inaccurate. Visits to various parts of Asia, including Malaysia, for the purposes of channel marketing for our merchandise and sourcing of materials for future products are a regular part of my work calendar and ordinary course of business.” He added that the newspaper article had unfairly given the impression that the Carl Kapp establishment was indiscreet and was willing to divulge personal and private information about clients.

Carl Kapp, courtesy of Carlkapp.com

“This is manifestly untrue, and we wish to state unequivocally that we value greatly the privacy of our clientele and would never violate their confidence under any circumstance,” he said.

Rosmah had on Monday dismissed claims of extravagant spending during a recent holiday in Sydney.

Several bloggers picked up the Sydney Morning Herald report that Rosmah had allegedly dropped an estimated RM325,000 in fashion designer Carl Kapp’s boutique during a private holiday a little more than a fortnight ago.

The paper reported Kapp as telling its ‘Private Sydney’ section that Rosmah “was absolutely gracious and very easy to deal with”, adding that she was nothing like the woman often portrayed by the local media for her extravagant lifestyle.

It was said that Kapp, who became suspicious of the identity of his mystery VIP customer when his Oxford Street store received a flurry of calls requesting valet parking for her limousine, said he was being flown to Malaysia next month with a collection of “toiles” for Rosmah to try on before completing her massive order of 61 dresses, pants, and tops.