Photo: AP Fashion designer Rokdsanda Ilincic poses for a portrait in her workshop in London in 2011
Star dressmaker used offshore company to hide her wealth, Panama Papers revealLondon-based Roksanda Ilincic caught up in growing offshore tax scandal
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Serbian designer used Panama law firm to set up company in a tax haven
Her dresses are worn by leading political figures, royalty and celebrities
She was guest at reception held by SamCam for designers at Downing St
A First Lady’s first choice: Michelle Obama steps out in vibrant Roksanda Ilincic dresses.
The Serbian designer was named in the Panama Papers as having set up a firm in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands
Photo: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock Photo: Reuters
A fashion designer whose dresses are worn by Samantha Cameron, Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton has been caught up in the offshore tax scandal.
London-based Roksanda Ilincic is among the latest names to emerge from
the Panama Papers which have exposed the tax-avoidance schemes of the
world’s rich and famous.
The Serbian-born designer, whose dresses sell for up to £5,000, is said to have enlisted Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca to set up a company in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Her details were found among nearly 11million leaked documents by the Belgrade-based Crime and Corruption Reporting Network KRIK
The Serbian-born designer, whose dresses sell for up to £5,000, is said to have enlisted Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca to set up a company in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Her details were found among nearly 11million leaked documents by the Belgrade-based Crime and Corruption Reporting Network KRIK
Photo: Reuters Photo: Tim Rook/REX/Shutterstock
Royal approval: The Duchess of Cambridge is a huge fan. She has often
worn her trusty dove grey cocktail dress (left) on public occasions and
donned this bright lemon number (right) on a visit to Sydney in 2014
Photo: REX/Shutterstock Photo: Ray Tang/REX/Shutterstock
Samantha Cameron sported a bold Roskanda Ilincic dress during an
official visit to the White House in 2012 (left) and also wore one of
her outfits at the designer’s show during London Fashion Week
Last year KRIK
were quoted as saying they found that Mrs Ilincic and her husband had
become shareholders of Greenland Property Limited which was registered
in the BVI.
According to the Serbian Business Registry Agency, Greenland Property has 50 per cent stake shares in a company called MP Invest based in Belgrade. It is not known if the couple remain shareholders in Greenland Property and there is no suggestion they have done anything illegal. Mrs Ilincic, 38, has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the fashion industry ranks since settling in London in 1999 with her husband and business partner Philip Bueno de Mesquita. They have a four-year old daughter called Mia.
Her ascent has been assisted by several of
the world’s leading ladies and royalty, all of whom have been busy
filling their wardrobes with her vibrant colours and statement dresses.
The Duchess of Cambridge is a big fan. She has often been seen in her
trusty dove grey cocktail dress and even took it with her on her first
tour of America with Prince William in 2011. Samantha Cameron,
meanwhile, is also a staunch supporter, having hosted a reception for
the world’s top designers at Downing Street in 2012, where Mrs Ilincic
was a guest.
Photo: Getty Images
Samantha Cameron (wearing an Illncic dress) poses with, from left, Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, designer Mary Katrantzou, designer Roksanda Ilincic, designer Sir Paul Smith, Ambassador for the British Fashion Council Samantha Cameron, Natalie Massanet of Net-a-Porter, designer Anya Hindmarch and Danielle Crook of Vodafone at a reception at Downing Street in 2012
Photo: Steve Back/REX/Shutterstock
Michelle Obama wears a Roksanda Ilincic outside 10 Downing Street during a state visit in May 2011
Mrs Cameron paid tribute to the designer
by picking one of her bright pink and blue dresses to ensure she really
stood out from the crowd.She also sported one of her outfits during an
official visit to the White House that year.
In an interview with Alice-Azania Jarvis for The Evening Standard last year, Mrs Ilincic said she was honoured that Mrs Cameron liked her dresses so much. She said: ‘When I see my designs on her, it makes me proud. She’s so stylish and chic and looks great in everything.’
SamCam’s counterpart, Michelle Obama, is also partial to a Ilincic dress, wearing one on a trip to Cambodia last year and on a visit to Downing Street in 2011. They are also the outfit of choice for a host of A-list celebrities including actresses Sienna Miller and Kristen Stewart. Her dresses are sold from between a few hundreds pounds for up to nearly £5,000.
In an interview with Alice-Azania Jarvis for The Evening Standard last year, Mrs Ilincic said she was honoured that Mrs Cameron liked her dresses so much. She said: ‘When I see my designs on her, it makes me proud. She’s so stylish and chic and looks great in everything.’
SamCam’s counterpart, Michelle Obama, is also partial to a Ilincic dress, wearing one on a trip to Cambodia last year and on a visit to Downing Street in 2011. They are also the outfit of choice for a host of A-list celebrities including actresses Sienna Miller and Kristen Stewart. Her dresses are sold from between a few hundreds pounds for up to nearly £5,000.
Photo: Startraks Photo/REX/Shutterstock Photo: James Shaw/REX/Shuttererstock
Actresses Kristen Stewart (left) and Sienna Miller (right) turn up to premieres in Roskanda Ilincic dresses
In a sign of the growing scandal engulfing
the rich and famous, the Panama Papers claimed their first scalp
yesterday when Iceland’s prime minister sensationally resigned over
furore. The documents claimed Sigmunder David Gunlaugsson and his wife
set up a company in the British Virgin Islands to hide millions of
pounds with the help of Mossack Fonseca.
The revelations sparked fury across Iceland, with thousands gathering outside parliament to demand he stand down and opposition leaders presenting a motion of no-confidence against him.
Gunlaugsson, who denies wrongdoing, initially refused to quit and asked President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson to dissolve government and call a snap election instead. But just hours later, he left it to his deputy to announce his U-turn.
Other leaders and celebrities implicated in the papers leaked from a Panamanian law firm have hit back at the allegations, denying any wrongdoing despite the international furore. Those named include Russian President Vladimir Putin’s associates, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s relatives, FIFA’s new president Gianni Infantino and Argentine footballing great Lionel Messi.
The revelations sparked fury across Iceland, with thousands gathering outside parliament to demand he stand down and opposition leaders presenting a motion of no-confidence against him.
Gunlaugsson, who denies wrongdoing, initially refused to quit and asked President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson to dissolve government and call a snap election instead. But just hours later, he left it to his deputy to announce his U-turn.
Other leaders and celebrities implicated in the papers leaked from a Panamanian law firm have hit back at the allegations, denying any wrongdoing despite the international furore. Those named include Russian President Vladimir Putin’s associates, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s relatives, FIFA’s new president Gianni Infantino and Argentine footballing great Lionel Messi.
Fashion designer Rokdsanda Ilincic poses for a portrait in her workshop in London in 2011
Photo: Nick Harvey/REX/Shutterstock Photo: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock
Named in the Panama Papers: Roksanda Ilincic poses with her British Designer of the Year award in February (left) and during an exhibition opening reception at the National Portrait Gallery earlier this year (right)
The vast stash of records from Panama’s
Mossack Fonseca law firm was obtained from an anonymous source by German
daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared with more than 100 media groups
by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The
first findings were published on Sunday after a year-long probe.
Offshore financial dealings are not illegal in themselves, though they may be used to hide assets from tax authorities, launder the proceeds of criminal activities or conceal misappropriated or politically inconvenient wealth.
Australia, France and the Netherlands have announced investigations, while Canada has requested a copy of the papers for its own probe. A judicial source said Spain had opened a money-laundering probe into the law firm. Panama has pledged to investigate the revelations. But France’s Finance Minister Michel Sapin said his country would still put it back on a list of countries that do not cooperate in tracking down tax dodgers.
Offshore financial dealings are not illegal in themselves, though they may be used to hide assets from tax authorities, launder the proceeds of criminal activities or conceal misappropriated or politically inconvenient wealth.
Australia, France and the Netherlands have announced investigations, while Canada has requested a copy of the papers for its own probe. A judicial source said Spain had opened a money-laundering probe into the law firm. Panama has pledged to investigate the revelations. But France’s Finance Minister Michel Sapin said his country would still put it back on a list of countries that do not cooperate in tracking down tax dodgers.
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