Fashion's Favourite Architect In Court

Peter Marino, fashion's favourite architect, has been accused of sexism and racism by a former employee, Page Six reports.

Deirdre O'Brien, Marino's former office manager, worked with the architecture firm for 14 years until this autumn when Marino allegedly "unleashed a tirade" against her in front of male executives. O'Brien also claims that he behaved aggressively in her presence, banging his fist on the desk when discussing staffing issues with her, and called her a "c*nt" when her back was turned. She alleges that after complaining about the incident to the company's human resource department, she was fired, her unfair dismissal lawsuit claims.

"Marino is as adept at creating an intimidating and bullying culture targeting women and people of colour on the inside of his company as he is at creating an edgy architectural aesthetic on the outside," O'Brien states in legal papers filed in Manhattan, The Fashion Law reports. "Given that he was the owner and boss, no action was ever taken about his behaviour."

A spokesman for Marino - who is married to costume designer Jane Trapnell, with whom he shares a 23-year-old daughter - said this weekend: "We will respond to her allegations in court at the appropriate time." Marino has built a significant client base over almost 40 years in the industry, working closely with designers including Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani - as well as with brands from Chanel and Louis Vuitton, to Fendi and Bulgari. The NY native got his first big break by redesigning Andy Warhol's Factory and apartment in New York in the Seventies.

He is responsible for creating some of the world's most famous and aesthetically appealing stores worldwide - from Dior on Avenue Montaigne, below Monsieur Dior's original atelier space, to Barneys in New York. Known for his biker attire and no-nonsense attitude, Marino is often painted as architecture's bad boy. Asked about a New York Times profile in 2004 that described him as "tyrannical", Marino was philosophical.

"My name is on the door, and I care very much about the design that gets put out. I'm sorry, but it has to be my way," he told the New York Times in 2012. "Is Calvin Klein a tyrant? When it came to his dresses, he had to be. He's not going to listen to 28 assistants and go, 'Yeah, that's great, let's try that, and I'll put my name on it.' It doesn't work that way in design."