As many as 60,000 people signed a petition in just a week to urge the Japanese arm of Italian fashion house Prada to withdraw its countersuit against a former employee who sued the company for firing her based on appearance.

Spearheaded by online petition platform Change.org, the organizer of the campaign hopes the voices from around the globe will force Prada Japan to rethink its strategy. It is suing Rina Bovrisse for ¥72 million on grounds that her accusations soiled the company's reputation.

Change.org Japan Campaigns Director Emmy Suzuki Harris described the results as "hard won," saying that a petition garnering 10,000 signatures a day is usually considered newsworthy enough to make headlines in the United States.