A Manhattan fashion brand owner who markets her luxury clothing line as sustainable and responsibly made stole tens of thousands of dollars from vulnerable employees forced to work 17-hour shifts under sweatshop conditions in Manhattan’s Garment District, prosecutors alleged Wednesday.
Walking out of her Manhattan Supreme Court arraignment, Andrea Mary Marshall, the 44-year-old owner of Salon 1884, ducked her head and buried her face in her hands. She pleaded not guilty to grand larceny, scheme to defraud and related offenses, accused of relentlessly exploiting employees between August 2023 and this month and stealing more than $54,000 of their wages — totaling nearly 1,000 hours of unpaid labor.
Salon 1884, which launched in 2021 through Neiman Marcus, according to its website, was named as a defendant in the indictment alongside Marshall. The company also works with global online retailers Net-A-Porter and Moda Operandi.
At a press conference, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Marshall exploited the significant power imbalance between her and nine of her employees on W. 39th St., who relied on their wages to support their families and afford basic living expenses and who lacked the means to pursue legal recourse.
Bragg said an investigation was ongoing and urged victims of Marshall to contact his office’s worker protection unit, noting they would not be asked about their immigration status.
“She allegedly would berate workers and scream at them,” the DA said. “These were workers who were desperately in need of the wages they were entitled to.”
Text messages included in the charging papers against Marshall showed frantic seamstresses begging her to pay them.
“Ms. Andrea, please can you pay me half. I really need to send money to Ecuador for my children. I really need it, miss, please help me,” read one March 2025 text to Marshall from an employee whose identity was redacted.
Marshall’s brand has been worn by the likes of actor Julia Roberts and “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo and has graced the pages of Vogue, Forbes and Women’s Wear Daily.
Lambskin jackets costing almost $4,000 and other pricey pieces totaling more than the average New Yorker’s paycheck are purchasable on the brand’s website, garments it says are “designed for the modern woman and her unique approach to style.”
“Salon 1884 is responsibly made with environmentally-conscious materials and manufactured in the United States in New York City’s Garment Center,” the website reads.
The Parsons School of Design graduate is “known for her self portraiture,” while expert craftsmanship and “sustainable practice” are core to her clothing brand, the Salon 1884 website reads.
In reality, prosecutors contend, Marshall sustained her business through exploitation and subjecting workers to untenable conditions.
With direct control over her employees — setting schedules, mandating they punch in and out, and determining pay rates — Marshall allegedly chronically underpaid them and forced them to work consecutive overnight shifts of up to 17 hours, according to charging papers.
The DA’s office said workers routinely worked beyond 40 hours a week in Marshall’s sweatshop, with at least two clocking more than 100 hours. She paid workers in cash, by check or via Zelle, and sometimes offered clothing instead of money, according to prosecutors.
The alleged sweatshop owner was additionally accused of failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance required under New York law.
“The wage theft case against Salon 1884 and Andrea Marshall is a powerful reminder that no one is above the law when it comes to protecting workers’ rights,” New York Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said in a statement. “Wage theft is a crime, plain and simple.”
Marshall had no comment as she left court. She could face anywhere from five to 15 years in prison if convicted.