Designer is facing more sex charges

This was supposed to be a big week for Anand Jon.

The fashion designer, who earlier this year was on Newsweek magazine's list of people to watch in 2007, was about to unveil a new line during L.A. Fashion Week.

Instead, the headlines are focused on his arrest in Beverly Hills for allegedly sexually assaulting seven women and girls who modeled for him over the last three years. On Monday, prosecutors charged Jon, 33, with 15 felony and five misdemeanors counts.

"He lured these girls to be models and once here sexually assaulted them," said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. "This is an ongoing investigation and we believe there may be numerous additional victims."

Authorities in New York have also opened an investigation into whether the designer assaulted women there, Robison said.

Jon's attorney, Ronald Richards, has said the designer did nothing wrong and that the alleged victims -- including a 15-year-old girl -- are models who made false allegations against his client because he refused to employ them to the extent they wanted.

Jon was scheduled to introduce his Atomize Collection during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. The new ready-to-wear line features the designer's jeans and was to be the next step in expanding his fashion business.

Jon was a well-known figure in the celebrity fashion world, designing clothes for Paris Hilton, Mary J. Blige and others. He was the subject of articles in magazines such as People and Star and was a judge on the show "America's Top Model."

He was planning to star in a reality TV show for VH1 about the fashion world co-starring friend and "Lost" actress Michelle Rodriguez.

But to some fashion insiders, Jon is notable more for his celebrity connections than for the quality of his designs.

"I can characterize his position as being a designer that no one in the fashion industry pays attention to," said New York fashion stylist and photographer Phyllis Leibowitz. "He has a knack for getting his photo taken, and partying with influential people."

Amid the tabloid clippings, there is an air of mystery around Jon.

He was born in India (where he continues to have something of a rock-star following) and was a fixture on the Miami social scene in the 1990s, where according to Newsweek he met designer Gianni Versace. In interviews, Jon credits Versace for getting him into the fashion business.