Image courtesy of fotoity.com
The public backlash and expanded beyond President Elect Donald Trump to his wife Melania. French designer Sophie Theallet has declared that she will never dress the FLOTUS to be, and encourages other designers to follow suit. Theallet in the past has dressed First Lady Michelle Obama.
“As an independent fashion brand, we consider our voice an expression of our artistic and philosophical ideas. The Sophie Theallet brand stands against all discrimination and prejudice. Our runway shows, ad campaigns and celebrity dressing have always been a celebration of diversity and a reflection of the world we live in,” confides Theallet in a letter on her social media outlets.
I am well aware it is not wise to get involved in politics. That said, as a family-owned company, our bottom line is not just about money. We value our artistic freedom and always humbly seek to contribute to a more humane, conscious and ethical way to create in this world,” continues Theallet.
“As an immigrant myself in this country, I have been blessed with the opportunity to pursue my dreams in the USA. Dressing the First Lady Michelle Obama for the past 8 years has been a highlight and an [honor]. She has contributed to having our name [recognized] and respected worldwide. Her values, actions and grace have always resonated deeply within me.”
While Theallet has taken this militant stance, Tommy Hilfiger has a more conciliatory approach. At the Angel Ball, Hilfiger told WWD, “I don’t think people should become political about it”…”I think Melania is a very beautiful woman and I think any designer should be proud to dress her,” added the designer. “Ivanka is equally as beautiful and smart, although she wears her own clothes. I don’t think people should become political about it. Everyone was very happy to dress Michelle [Obama] as well. I think they look great in the clothes. You’re not gonna get much more beautiful than Ivanka or Melania.”
Since Hilfiger’s comments were shared on social media, the public has been outraged at his comments.
Image courtesy of fashionnetwork.com
J. Lo expansion
“American Idol” may be over, but Jennifer Lopez’s media domination continues. In early 2016 Jennifer Lopez opened the J. Lo by Jennifer Lopez store in Unicentro, Colombia. J. Lo by Jennifer Lopez is in partnership with local distributors.
Next week, the international pop artist plans to open another store in Cali. Colombia is the second Latin American country to carry the boutique.
The brand offers women’s wear items that are reminiscent of the singer and actress’ outfits and style. Jeans, party dresses, tops and leather jackets are combined in unique and glamorous ways, empowering women of all ages. J Lo intends open three additional standalone stores in Colombia by the end of 2016.
Image courtesy of fashionnetwork.com
Crawford dynasty
The Cindy Crawford fashion dynasty continues. At 50, Cindy Crawford is still going strong with a plethora of projects in the works. However, not far behind Cindy is her 15-year old daughter, Kaia Gerber.
Kaia Gerber has been pegged as the new face of Marc Jacobs’ beauty campaign. “I’m so excited and honored that my first beauty campaign is with Marc Jacobs, an icon in the fashion industry. I’m obsessed with his beauty products, and like everything else he does, Marc Jacobs Beauty makes you feel feminine and playful,” exclaimed Kaia Gerber in a fashionnetwork.com article.
This campaign stays true to the Marc Jacob aesthetic with Kaia sporting wild, red hair and dramatic blue and black eyeliner. This campaign is not Kaia Gerber’s first campaign. Kaia has posed for such major brands as Chrome Hearts, Alexander Wang, and Miu Miu.
Image courtesy of getty images
Boss and Wang bow out
There is more trouble for New York Fashion Week: The Shows (NYFWS). Vera Wang and Hugo Boss have opted not to show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows fall 2017 season in February. These latest exits from two major brands continue to demonstrate that significant changes need to be made to NYFWS if the fashion week is to continue and not go the way of Miami Swimwear or LA Fashion Week.
Boss is putting most of its effort into New York Fashion Week: Men’s fall 2017 that shows from January 30–February 3, opting out of NYFWS. Wang has decided to make a short film of her fall 2017 collection to be shown in Paris on February 28, the same day Wang receives the Legion d’honneur in Paris.
In September, Sophie Theallet, Derek Lam, Diane von Furstenberg, and Kate Spade chose presentations over runway shows for their spring 2017 collections. And missing from the September roster was Venexiana, Badgley Mischka, Greg Lauren, and several others.
—William S. Gooch
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