From Irish Independent (Junk Kouture Ireland was a licence? We didn’t know that…)

A US marketing executive who last month sued Junk Kouture and the CEO of the Ireland-based eco-friendly fashion show venture, Troy Armour, has asked a New York court to reconsider her $500,000-plus (€461,000) complaint against them.

Priya Narang claimed in her complaint filed last month that her dispute with Junk Kouture and Mr Armour stems from a sponsorship deal inked with accountancy giant Deloitte and commission she says she was due from securing the agreement.

But the judge presiding over the case in New York dismissed it earlier this month, noting that Ms Narang had “not properly pleaded the citizenship of the parties” involved.

However, a lawyer for Ms Narang has asked for the case to be readmitted.

He has told the court notices issued by the court regarding a need to amend her complaint to argue the basis for the New York court’s jurisdiction in the case were not received by his legal firm.

Mr Armour founded Junk Kouture in 2010. It encourages post-primary students to showcase fashion outfits they create using recycled material. It recently held its global final in Monaco.

Deloitte is the lead global sponsor, while the global sponsors are DHL and Microsoft. Local sponsors in Ireland include RTÉ and Eurospar, which just renewed its association last week. Etihad Airlines is also a sponsor.

Ms Narang has claimed that in 2021, her New York-based firm, LMA, entered a six-month agreement with Junk Kouture to devise marketing strategies and sponsorship proposals, targeting prospective partners in New York, London, Paris, Milan and the UAE. The Irish firm agreed to pay LMA a $20,000 per month retainer as well as 20pc commission on any sponsorship secured, it is alleged.

By late that year, Ms Narang claims she was close to signing up Deloitte as a sponsor. Around the same time, the agreement between LMA and Junk Kouture was amended to remove the monthly retainer and reduce commission to 15pc.

But, she alleges, if she was to finalise a sponsorship with Deloitte, she would retain 20pc commission on that deal.

In September 2022, Deloitte agreed to sponsor Junk Kouture initially for one year for $500,000.

Ms Narang says she was eventually paid the total $100,000 commission due on that deal. She alleges she then signed up Deloitte for a further year’s sponsorship for $500,000, with an option to extend it by two years. She claims she has not received commission on that deal.