Who Will Melania Trump Choose? Designers Are Now Fighting Over Who Will Design Clothes For New First Lady
Looks like Melania Trump won’t have to wear off the rack. Instead of Mrs. Trump being boycotted by fashion designers, particularly Sophie Theallet and Tom Ford, sounds like a lot of prestigious designers are fighting to dress her instead. Despite some designers who publicly came out to declare that they refused to dress Melania Trump, it appears that there are some top American fashion designers who are vying to dress the new first lady. Who are these designers and could other designers soon be added to this list?
According to the Daily Mail, Jean Shafiroff claims that Project Runway judge Zac Posen, B Michael America and Tommy Hilfinger are some of the designers that are rushing to dress Mrs. Trump. The Harlem based fashion designer B Michael America told the famed socialite “he’d be honored” to dress the incoming first lady. He also mentioned the publicity perks of dressing Melania Trump, although the designer did not mention whether this sort of press would be positive or negative to a designer’s business.
“Any designer who dresses her will get enormous press.”
This growing list of designers who which to dress Melania also includes one of the most iconic American fashion design names: Calvin Klein. When asked by WWD whether he would dress Mrs. Trump, his reply was the very affirmative “of course I would.”
What about personal politics? Rag & Bone designer Marcus Wainright explained to the New York Times that personal politics should be pushed aside for greater American manufacturing.
“It would be hypocritical to say no to dressing a Trump. If we say we are about inclusivity and making American manufacturing great again, then we have to put that before personal political beliefs.”
How about the designers that have not weighed in on dressing Melania Trump or have not yet decided? Inquisitr recently reported that Project Runway Season 4 winner, Christian Siriano has not yet decided if he will dress Mrs. Trump. The talented designer admits it is not about her, but what she is now representing.
“Sadly, it’s really just one of those things that has nothing to do with her, it’s just obviously what she’s representing in what’s happening right now.”
This is not just about politics for Siriano. To the recently married designer, this is about gay rights.
“It would be hard for anyone, especially for someone like myself, a young gay fashion designer, I can’t support a campaign where I might not have the same rights. I just got married. There’s lots of deep things that get into it … Hopefully things will be great.
Last year, he famously dressed first lady Michelle Obama in a cobalt blue dress for her speech at the opening night of the DNC. This is one of the top looks that the FLOTUS wore in 2016 and gave Siriano a lot of positive publicity.
#55DaysTilFarewell #FlotusStyle Day 55: #FLOTUS Michelle Obama stunned in Christian Siriano at the 2016 Democratic Convention. <3 pic.twitter.com/RGlaGGLMaT
— Sheen Magazine (@sheenmagazine) November 26, 2016
So, could others decide that the brand publicity is more important that their personal politics? There is a fashion designer that has predicted that these designers will eventually come around and dress Melania Trump. Carolina Herrera recently spoke about dressing the first lady to the Business of Fashion.
The Venezuelan-born, American fashion designer herself recently dressed the current first lady, Michelle Obama for the cover of the December issue of American Vogue and has nothing but admiration for Mrs. Obama.
“Michelle has been impeccable as the first lady.”
Yet Herrera understands the importance of dressing Melania Trump, no matter what the designer’s political stance is. She predicts that “everyone” will be dressing her by spring as this new first lady is going to represent the United States.
“I think that in two or three months they’ll reach out, because it’s fashion. You’ll see everyone dressing Melania. She’s representing the United States.”
@MichelleObama covers @voguemagazine in #CarolinaHerrera. 8 Years of style and grace. @annieleibovitz pic.twitter.com/cvhDwLub3o
— Carolina Herrera (@HouseofHerrera) November 11, 2016
Do you think it matters if a designer agrees with the politics of a president in order to dress the first lady? Will you boycott designers that do dress Melania Trump? Will designers need to explain why they are dressing her? Share your opinions and let the debate begin.
[Featured Image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
