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From today's Melbourne Age ...
Run of fashion-theft victims in city
Dewi Cooke
January 25, 2007
It was meant to be his grand opening.
But just days before James Cameron was due to throw open the doors to his eponymous label's first store, the 28-year-old's entire menswear collection was stolen.
"I was just shocked, really. I was meant to be taking photos and the whole place was empty," he said.
Mr Cameron estimates the cost-price value of the collection was about $20,000.
However, designs were cut from custom-made, imported fabrics and he expects they would have retailed for significantly more. Some of these were "irreplaceable" he said.
Also stolen were the samples from his next collection.
Victoria Police's Detective Senior Constable James Heenan said the theft on Saturday was "100-per-cent" linked to the burglaries of nearby designer shops around the central business district.
The boutique, like many of Melbourne's independent fashion stores, is tucked down a laneway off Flinders Street in the city. It was to open officially next week.
On the same day, Pitti Moda, on Russell Street was fleeced of $31,000 worth of stock; while, five days earlier, Borelli on Collins Street had $15,000 worth of suits stolen.
Thieves did not touch a number of pieces of designer furniture and, curiously, a single T-shirt printed with the slogan "the greater good".
"I was thinking, 'Are they intelligent criminals? Am I missing something?"' Mr Cameron said.
His collection had been 18 months in the making, with pieces featured in magazines.
Expensive clothing and accessories were a popular target for thieves, Detection Senior Constable Heenan said, with $250,000 worth of handbags taken from one city boutique about a year ago and pairs of designer sunglasses stolen from another just before last year's Melbourne Cup.
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers 1800 333 000.
Run of fashion-theft victims in city
Dewi Cooke
January 25, 2007
It was meant to be his grand opening.
But just days before James Cameron was due to throw open the doors to his eponymous label's first store, the 28-year-old's entire menswear collection was stolen.
"I was just shocked, really. I was meant to be taking photos and the whole place was empty," he said.
Mr Cameron estimates the cost-price value of the collection was about $20,000.
However, designs were cut from custom-made, imported fabrics and he expects they would have retailed for significantly more. Some of these were "irreplaceable" he said.
Also stolen were the samples from his next collection.
Victoria Police's Detective Senior Constable James Heenan said the theft on Saturday was "100-per-cent" linked to the burglaries of nearby designer shops around the central business district.
The boutique, like many of Melbourne's independent fashion stores, is tucked down a laneway off Flinders Street in the city. It was to open officially next week.
On the same day, Pitti Moda, on Russell Street was fleeced of $31,000 worth of stock; while, five days earlier, Borelli on Collins Street had $15,000 worth of suits stolen.
Thieves did not touch a number of pieces of designer furniture and, curiously, a single T-shirt printed with the slogan "the greater good".
"I was thinking, 'Are they intelligent criminals? Am I missing something?"' Mr Cameron said.
His collection had been 18 months in the making, with pieces featured in magazines.
Expensive clothing and accessories were a popular target for thieves, Detection Senior Constable Heenan said, with $250,000 worth of handbags taken from one city boutique about a year ago and pairs of designer sunglasses stolen from another just before last year's Melbourne Cup.
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers 1800 333 000.