Designer Reem Acra sues Chetrit after a fire damages gowns

Two-alarm blaze allegedly set off by contractors at 245 West 34th spread to fashion big's studio

From left: Joseph Chetrit, 245 West 34th Street, Reem Acra's 2014 collection and Reem Acra
From left: Joseph Chetrit, 245 West 34th Street, Reem Acra's 2014 collection and Reem Acra

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something burned through.

Reem Acra, who has designed bridal gowns for celebrities including Halle Berry and Bette Midler, is suing the Chetrit Group for $2.5 million after fabrics and dresses were damaged in a fire allegedly started by Chetrit’s contractors.

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The two-alarm fire on March 27 purportedly broke out when contractors used blowtorches to remove steel beams at 245 West 34th Street. The Chetrit Group plans to build a 17-story mixed-use building at the site.

Reem rents a studio at 240 West 35th Street, behind Chetrit’s property. She claims that smoke pushed into her space, damaging 2,400 gowns as well as high-end fabric that cost about $900 per yard. [DNAinfo] — Claire Moses