With its high glamour and long-legged models, fashion has always attracted a certain kind of sleazebag on the fringes.
Smooth, cultured and lecherous are not — and have never been — mutually exclusive.
Even so, Jeffrey Epstein stands out.
The convicted sex offender, who died in prison in 2019, is having his past resurrected by the release of millions of documents gathered by government investigators.
And although it was the hope of some politically advantageous revelation that brought the Epstein files into the light, there are insider-y exchanges about fashion designers, Ungaro, Barneys New York and more, hidden among the mistyped emails.
As Epstein carefully cultivated scientists, socialites and royals, he wove in and out of the fashion industry, not landing in the headlines, but operating behind the scenes — and well beyond his well-documented connection with Victoria’s Secret’s Leslie Wexner.
With a well-placed suggestion here and a nudge there, Epstein was on the scene when deals and C-suite changes were being contemplated.
For example, in September 2009 — a year after Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution — he was emailing with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who oversaw the Istithmar World investment fund, which David Jackson had immediate control over as chief executive officer.
Epstein forwarded a Bloomberg story about Istithmar halting investments after a $25 billion spending spree, which included the purchase of Barneys New York in 2007 for $942 million.
“You and i should speak,” Epstein wrote to the sultan.
By the following month, Epstein was being both prescriptive and forceful with his advice.
“I spent many hours on your issue, last night and this morning..,” Epstein wrote to bin Sulayem. “as you know i truly value our friendship.. My best advice, as you know – advice that many leaders follow almost blindly is that you need to fire David Jackson.. sorry. i have never met him, he is the reason for the focus on Bameys [sic]. not you.. he is seen as not professional, a braggart, and not sophisticated. I spoke to over fifteen seperate [sic] people, they all immediately said he was the cause, and the fact that he is still there represents a non-break with the past and the problems.. You should find someone else. asap..”
Two months later, bin Sulayem emailed Epstein a Wall Street Journal story under the headline, “Dubai Crisis Snags American; Deal Maker David Jackson’s Portfolio Becomes a Symbol of Emirate’s Ambition.”
The sultan said he “didn’t allow” Jackson to comment for the story.
And Epstein pushed again to ouster Jackson, who did not respond to a WWD query.
“yes and he disconnected his cell phone… his head should roll very publicly..” Epstein advised. “tell him you are sorry, on a personal note. but the crisis demands it.. DO NOT E MAIL him about it. if this is a problem we can talk .. He should go on vacation , be accessible for info, payout over time to be discontinued the moment he slips up. Tell him no back channel. no off the record, no anything. hold out money for at least three years.”
When Jackson was ousted in January, Epstein emailed former New York Times reporter Landon Thomas Jr., crowing: “you didnt wish me happy birthday yesterday. or admit defeat on david jackson , you owe me a piece on the palm beach crazies.”
A year later, New York real estate broker David Mitchell made a connection between Epstein and Asim Abdullah, who owned Ungaro.
“A new friend, of mine sold his Company for a lot of $s in the internet 1.0 boom and then bought the fashion house Ungaro in Paris,” Mitchell wrote. “He has spent 50 million euro cleaning it up and is finally there.
“It might be an opportunity if you had the right guy to run it,” he wrote. “He clearly is not ,as he will tell you He asked me to help him.”
The two connected and Epstein started giving Abdullah advice and looking into the Ungaro business.
In one exchange, Epstein said the presentation he had been given to review the brand was “A highly promoter type presentation..”
“I could n;t show it to anyone,” Epstein said. “i would [n]eed working capital needs. licencing deals. what percentages on what items, note details to ferragamo, and perfume buyback. This presentation will not do you any good unless an arab russian or chinese has a girlfriend that wants to be in the biz.”
Epstein also checked with his network on Ungaro’s designer, Giles Deacon, emailing Annabelle Neilson, the British socialite and muse to Alexander McQueen: “giles deacon„ now with ungaro. –reputation.. does he have any talent?”
She replied, “Quantify talent! He’s good.”
“good very good should he be fired? hes as good as” Epstein wrote to Neilson, who died in 2018.
Deacon could not be reached for comment.
These exchanges — where Epstein is looking to advise on corporate leadership or connect the rich and powerful people for some high-level dealmaking — show a consistent disregard for punctuation, but are largely in line with things other well-placed fashion gadflies do.
But one does not need to dig too deep before unearthing Epstein’s other side.
In 2017, investor Boris Nikolic reached out to Epstein suggesting that designer Peter Dundas, who could not be reached for comment, could do “some joined project with Victoria Secret.”
“This is why I asked you [who] is the best person there. It must be someone very high,” said Nikolic, adding later, “He is dressing all hot it girls. He is always doing very sexy outfits.”
Epstein said he would forward along the idea — and then, showed his true colors.
“Ask him which girl under 26 is the best combo of brains and beauty,” Epstein wrote.
WWD reached out to everyone cited here as having corresponded with Epstein for comment. None responded.
