Ralph Lauren And Reema Acra Face Backlash After Dressing Melania Trump
The American brand is the latest to come under fire for dressing the First Lady
There has been constant controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency from the start of his campaign right up until the present day, and in recent months the political tension has spilled over into the fashion world.
Back in November, Sophie Theallet wrote an open letter to her staff detailing how she would not dress Trump’s wife Melania due to her husband’s campaign and his stance on a range of important issues. Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs also stated they would decline the offer to dress the new First Lady.
On the opposite side of the fence was Carolina Herrera and Tommy Hilfiger, who, when asked about Sophie Theallet’s comments said that “any designer should be proud to dress her.”Â
Across the weekend, Trump was officially sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, and Melania wore several outfits by high profile designers for the various events. The powder blue suit she donned during the inauguration was designed by Ralph Lauren and now, the famous American designer is coming under fire for his decision to dress Melania.
Shortly after the ceremony the hashtag #BoycottRalphLauren began trending on social media.
Harper’s Bazaar US reports that a source within Lauren’s company confirmed that the company immediately began getting complaints as the inauguration aired. However, it’s important to note that Lauren himself has dressed several high-profile First Ladies across his career from both parties including Hillary Clinton, Betty Ford and Nancy Reagan.Â
Lauren wasn’t the only one to face backlash, with Beirut-born designer Reem Acra also dividing opinion. The Middle Eastern designer dressed Melania for the dinner at Union Station in Washington across the weekend and, after posting a photo of her on her Instagram account, was flooded with angry comments from consumers who threatened to throw away the pieces they owned and to not buy her label again.
Others, however, applauded the outfit with Vanity Fair writing that Melania’s decision to wear a Middle Eastern designer was a “strategic move.”