Time is passing since Trump won the election but the ripple effects are still being felt throughout the world and particularly in the fashion industry…
The fashion industry has always been largely made up of women and the LGBT community, so given Trumps sexist, racist and xenophobic comments during his campaign, it is no surprise that some of the fashion world are questioning whether they should associate themselves with him by dressing the first lady, Melania Trump.
Michelle Obama has been a beloved personality and she always wore such vibrant clothing and many designers will be sad to see her leave as first lady but apparently none more so than designer Sophie Theallet.
Theallet, one of Michelle Obamas go to designers, recently released a powerful statement strongly encouraging designers not to dress Melania Trump.
Theallet was born in France and as an immigrant to the US, she thoroughly objects to the “rhetoric of racism, sexism and xenophobia” that was present in Trumps campaign. She has said that she will not be dressing the first lady and wants the fashion world to follow suit, however it is still unclear whether the fashion industry will do so.
During the presidential campaign we saw the fashion world take a political stance with designers endorsing one candidate. Hillary Clinton received endorsements from brands including Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs just to name a few.
It is not only designers but also publications endorsing candidates, Vogue US editor in chief, Anna Wintour, officially endorsed Clinton for president in a publication first.
There are still some in the fashion industry that are extending the olive branch to Melania, Jeremy Scott, the creative director at Moschino told Vanity Fair “I am totally opposite of her husband’s politics, but if the opportunity came to me I would consider it.”
Melania, isn’t the only Trump woman to face problems in the fashion world. His daughter, Ivanka, has also come under fire. A boycott campaign #Grabyourwallet has been targeting fashion stores that carry her label in an effort to have them dropped.
Ivanka saw marketing opportunities for her brand early in the campaign, wearing many of her own designs and pushing them for sale. Many women have said that they could no longer separate Ivanka and her brand from her fathers politics.
The campaign is receiving increasing attention and some stores have since dropped the label, while others including Nordstrom have no plans to drop it anytime soon.
Whatever happens there will be plenty of backlash against the Trump name so the women will need to develop thick skin.