10 June, LY Studio, City K

Lexi, with the help of her bodyguard, slowly made her way into the studio.? She was so looking forward to when she could do this without having to be pushed somewhere in a wheelchair.

She could hear several voices speaking.? Initially she could not make out what they were saying but the closer that she moved towards the design room where she knew all the studio staff would eb waiting for their fortnightly meeting, the clear the voices started to become, until she could make out what was being said.

"What sensational news that was last night with the arrest of that woman.."

"Wasn't she the one that tried to pass a fake off as one of the boss's designs.

"She was.? I saw the imitation, it was good from a distance, but the closer you got to the dress for those of us who know the boss's work it is easy to tell that it is a knock-off.? But you could see how someone that had never had access to one of the boss's couture designs could be deceived that it was an original."

"When I saw her photo last night it clicked about something, I saw the other day at the mall on my day off.? I was sitting in a food court area, having a coffee from one of the few places I have found that can properly brew one.."

"Shut up you Aussie coffee snob from Melbourne.."? Lexi smiled at that comment.? The complaints from this dressmaker about coffees around the world was well known within the team.? Wherever they were she always would go hunting for what she called passable coffee.? Lexi was sceptical about that claim, until her first Melbourne Fashion Week two years ago where she had a ready-to-wear show.? Being dragged around Melbourne to various cafes she soon learnt about the difference between good coffee and great coffee.

"So, what.? I want good coffee and I will find it.? But you idiots are distracting me.? As I said I was trying to say before you rudely interrupted me, I was sitting having a passable coffee when I heard a woman yelling abuse at a young girl.? I did not pay intention to what was being said I simply thought it was a mother telling off her daughter for spending a lot of money, as the young girl had several bags all around her.? They I saw her knock a passer-by to spill the drinks they had over the young girl and all the bags.? Seeing the look on the woman's face, I knew she had done it deliberately.? The photo told me, I had seen someone breaking the law.."

"Idiot.."

"I second that.? Why did you do nothing."

"Me a foreigner.? You think when I have only been here ten months that I am going to step in when I am not fully integrated into the society and I still struggle somewhat with the language..."

"Typical English speaker, frightened of foreign languages."

"Not frightened.? Cautious.? I can fluently speak English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic, and getting there with the local language.? Plus, I can speak enough to get by in Russian, Japanese, Thai, Hindi, and a few others.? Not being fluent, meant I stood back.? But people helped the girl.? But that was not as interesting as the other part.."

"The hints that she was a s*xual offender.? I read some rumours on-line that her so-called victims were men.? Who ever heard of a woman being a such a s*xual offender in that context?"

A chorus of "Not me," flowed out of the room.? Lexi knew she had to head this off before the whole situation deteriorated into a victim blaming exercise.

Signalling to the bodyguard, she quickly entered the room before saying firmly saying "Ladies and gentlemen that is something I do not want too hear again.."

A voice, who Lexi could not immediately place said "It is an opinion boss.? Women are always the victims of such s*xual offence.."

Lexi firmly said "So your view is that women are always the victim and men the perpetrators of s*xual offences and violence?? What about when it occurs in a same s.e.x relationship?? You have a perpetrator and victim of the same s.e.x.? I am not sure how rare it is, but what about the woman paedophile who targets children and teenagers under the age of consent.? Stereotyping is something I do not want."

A silence filled the room, before Lexi added, in a less harsh tone "It is not because I want to seem harsh, but we all know the number of stereotypes that fill this industry, particularly with respect to the men that are blatantly untrue.? The most famous one is the any males within the industry are gay.? While there is some gay within the industry, we all know that this is not true, as there are several of you in this room that prove that false.? You are happily married or in stable relationsh.i.p.s with women."

"And if we stereotyped the fashion industry how in the world would this business have become a leader within the industry.? Yes, there are times that we play to the stereotypes that pervade the fashion industry, particularly with our high-end clothes.? But that it is limited market, and we have paid as much attention to other segments.? We have the baby and children's line, which mixes expensive pieces with more cost effective and hard-wearing items."

"True boss, and you have found a niche for plus sized clothes."

Another voice called out "And if you had simply followed the stereotypes you would not have instigated me pursuing the initial designs with you for it."

"Now do you get why I was angry about what I heard?"

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