Lawyers for fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander claim prosecutors acted inappropriately in their handling of a juror and, thus, the case must be retried. Alexander was convicted last year on 14 felonies, including two for forcible rape.

After the trial, one of the jurors reportedly contacted Alexander’s sister, Sanjana Alexander, and said he and his peers were wrong and that he could help her free her brother, the Los Angeles Times reports.

With the presiding judge’s blessing, defense attorneys arranged a meeting between Ms. Alexander and the juror. District-attorney officials were also invited to the meeting, which would have been recorded. The juror never showed, however, and prosecutors admitted to meeting with him or her prior to the prearranged conversation. The judge, David S. Wesley, yesterday said he was "concerned" about the way the matter was handled and set a hearing for April 17.

The appeal will no doubt attract a lot of attention, especially since Mr. Alexander boasted a celebrity clientele and appeared on "America’s Next Top Model." Regardless of what happens, this case proves that fashion isn’t always pretty.