Subcontractor sues over allegedly unpaid work at Christian Dior store in Design District

How unfashionable. A subcontractor hired to hang drywall at the new Christian Dior store in Miami’s Design District sued both the Parisian fashion house and the project’s general contractor, alleging the firm never received full payment for its work.

The suit was recently filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court by Drymension Group, a Lake Worth-based contractor that specializes in drywall and plaster work. It names both Christian Dior and Twenty-Two Group, the general contractor, as defendants.

According to the complaint, Drymension was brought on by Twenty-Two last year to install metal framing and drywall inside Christian Dior’s newly opened 5,500-square-foot location at 162 Northeast 39th Street.

But during the buildout, the suit alleges, Christian Dior sent out “near constant” changes to the store’s design. At first, Drymension and Twenty-Two agreed to a “change order” of $153,894 for the extra work, according to the suit, but the luxury fashion brand’s alterations became more fluid by the day.

The dispute revolves around a purported agreement in early 2016 between Drymension and Twenty-Two, where Drymension would work on a “time and material” basis, allowing the firm to be paid as work progresses, the suit says.

Drymension said Twenty-Two signed off on its extra work until the job was completed in March, but the subcontractor said those premium payments never came. The firm is now moving to foreclosure on its claim of lien in excess of $300,000, and alleges a breach of contract and “unlawful enrichment” on the part of Christian Dior and Twenty-Two.

Cole Haynes, president of Twenty-Two, disagrees with Drymension’s account of events. He said in a statement that his firm denies the subcontractor’s claim, called the firm’s lien fraudulent, and assured Twenty-Two plans on filing a counterclaim in the near future.

Haynes added that Twenty-Two, which was co-founded by Design District developer Craig Robins, has worked on many of the retail projects in the tony neighborhood without issue.

A request for comment from Christian Dior was not immediately returned.