Cailey Fiesel, a 24-year-old resident of Midtown, alleges in a recent lawsuit that a garment she purchased from Zara, a fashion retailer, contained a deceased rodent that was sewn into the seam. She became aware of this repulsive situation when the dress began emitting a foul odor and she felt the paw of the animal poking her leg.
“I witnessed the tiny limb protruding from the crevice that I had made contact with, and it was truly terrifying.
“I became still — I was incapable of moving due to terror,” Fiesel disclosed to The Post at her lawyer’s office on Monday.
In complete shock, I saw with my own eyes that it was a mouse, but she said it couldn’t be my brain.
The graduate of Colgate University purchased the black scoop-neck dress for $40 from a Zara store in Greenwich, Connecticut in July.
According to her, upon wearing the attire to work a few weeks later, she detected an unsettlingly strong smell that she described as “disturbingly pungent.” Initially, everything appeared to be in order.
Her lawsuit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday, where she claims that despite her efforts to move away from her desk and take a stroll, she was still unable to avoid the unpleasant smell.
The 24-year-old expressed, “I felt something brushing against my leg and thought it was a string from the dress’s seam.”
The talent agent remembered, “there was a certain type of detector that seemed to touch the edge of the gown, and it didn’t seem like a thread when I tried to tug on it.”
She exclaimed, extending her fingers to display the roughly 2 ¹/₂ -inch size of the decaying rodent, “I lifted the hem of the dress and noticed that it wasn’t a detector but rather a mouse.”
Fiesel jumped out of her chair and ran to the bathroom in a state of panic and shock, at her office in midtown Manhattan.
“I transformed right away. Thank goodness I had something to switch into,” Fiesel stated.
Her lawsuit claims that the large rash, which she also developed, was diagnosed as a disease transmitted by rodents. However, in addition to the physical symptoms, she also experienced significant emotional distress as a result of the incident.
The dresses, which were without any flaws, such as rodent infestations, were claimed by the retailer to have a responsibility to produce them with proper care. The person stating this is filing a lawsuit for unspecified compensation.
“Zara is famous for its efficient time management,” clarified Adam Deutsch, Fiesel’s lawyer.
They are known for quickly getting popular on shelves because the material they manufacture is taking a design that is very popular.
“The speed at which they bring products from the design phase to store shelves likely contributes to their limited oversight.”
The tag on the dress carrying the rodent indicates that it was manufactured in Turkey.
Deutsch has maintained the attire, along with the implanted rodent, in a vacuum-sealed bag to utilize as proof during the trial.
The attorney stated that they attempted to resolve the lawsuit outside of the courtroom, but Zara declined.
“She has been a mess ever since,” Deutsch said about his client.
“She ought to be reimbursed for what she endured,” he added.
A spokesperson for Zara USA mentioned that the company “is aware of the legal action and we are carrying out an additional investigation into the matter.”
“Zara is committed to meeting these demanding requirements, ensuring that all of our products adhere to stringent safety and health standards in the USA.”
Rats can be found in our food, beverages, and even our garments!