It's a
question that fascinates fashion-watchers and lots of others every four years:
Which designer will the new U.S.
first lady choose to wear on Inauguration Day and, more importantly, on
Inauguration Night?
This year,
as never before, the question is a loaded one. Dressing the first lady has long
been considered a great honour for a designer and a huge business boon. But in
an industry that leaned heavily toward Hillary Clinton, a number of designers
have indicated they have no interest in dressing Melania Trump. So the question
is not merely whom she'll be choosing if she doesn't simply buy off the rack
but also, in a sense, who will be choosing her.
And the
first lady's inaugural attire is not the only example of how political concerns
have seeped into fashion lately in unexpected ways.
The fashion
choices of Ivanka Trump, the daughter who many believe will serve as a
quasi-first lady, have also come under scrutiny. She recently announced she's
leaving her executive position at the Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories
brand, calling it a "formal leave of absence" as she and her husband,
Jared Kushner, head to Washington,
where he will be a senior adviser to his father-in-law.
Melania Trump and POTUS Donald Trump. PICTURE: Instagram
But what
about her role as the brand's most visible ambassador? Ivanka Trump frequently
wears her own label, as she did with a fitted pastel pink shift dress at the
Republican National Convention in July, and with a $10,800 bangle bracelet on
"60 Minutes" in November.
She hasn't
said whether she'll continue to wear her own label; a spokesperson declined to
answer when queried by The Associated Press. If she does, it could be viewed as
promoting the brand.
Balmain to launch a debut handbag and footwear collection.
Of course,
neither Ivanka nor Melania Trump, nor anyone else needs permission to wear a
designer; they can buy whatever they like. But since high-end first lady
fashion is often custom-made, as it often was for Michelle Obama, a designer's
choice comes into play.
The debate
began in November when New York-based designer Sophie Theallet said she would
not dress Melania Trump, citing "the rhetoric of racism, sexism and
xenophobia unleashed by her husband's presidential campaign."
Few
designers made such public declarations, but when asked, a number said they,
too, would not want to dress the first lady, among them Marc Jacobs. Others
said they'd be happy to, including Tommy Hilfiger and Carolina Herrera. Thom
Browne said he'd be honored, "out of respect for the position" of
first lady.
The next first lady of America. PICTURE: Instagram
Others have
wondered whether designers should even be talking about politics when it comes
to dressing first ladies. Naeem Khan, the Indian-born American designer who
often dressed Mrs. Obama, thinks it's an important discussion.
"Every
designer has a point of view," Khan said in an interview. "A designer
is an artist, and should have the choice of who they want to dress or
not."
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For Khan,
the choice is clear. Though he was approached by a common social friend about
possibly designing an inaugural gown for Melania Trump, he says, he declined to
pursue the opportunity.
Melania Trump joined her husband on the campaign trail in Wisconsin. PICTURE: Instagram
"I
don't think it's right," he said, citing in part his long association with
Michelle Obama, whom he dressed close to 20 times, including a shimmering gown
for her first state dinner, with India's prime minister. He was
quick to note that Melania Trump "might be a great person for all we
know."