Melania Trump’s stylist slams liberal designers for refusing to dress the incoming First Lady
WASHINGTON, DC: Melania Trump’s stylist is taking aim at American designers who previously refused to dress the incoming First Lady.
As the 60th Inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place in less than a couple of days, the world is waiting eagerly for the fashion choices that the incoming First Lady will showcase in the future.
Melania’s stylist, Herve Pierre recently sat for an interview with WWD and opened up about the time when he was told by a fashion house that he was not “welcome” in their New York boutique.
Melania Trump’s stylist slams American designer for refusing to dress the incoming First Lady
Before the presidential inauguration of Melania’s husband Donald Trump in 2017, several American designers including Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, and Phillip Lim declared they would not dress Melania.
As the political differences between the Republicans and the Democrats are greater than ever in the present scenario, the repercussions could be felt in the artistic world too with the left-leaning designers refusing to dress the incoming First Lady.
However, Pierre reveals that in some cases, the political differences are more visible than the rest.
Pierre, who has previously faced criticism for not dressing Melania more in American labels, revealed during the interview that while the American fashion houses sometimes come off as reluctant to dress Melania, the European labels are mostly welcoming.
“Some of the designers here in New York are lovely,” revealed the stylist and designer, before adding, “The Europeans are more open-minded.”
He explained, “They see dressing Mrs Trump, due to the press coverage that she is getting, as a business opportunity to generate sales and free publicity.”
Referencing the criticism Pierre received for not involving American designs in Melania’s couture much, Pierre revealed that he was once turned away from the front door of an American designer’s Madison Avenue boutique in New York City by a salesperson.
Pierre, while acknowledging that political differences might lead to professional disregard while dressing the future First Lady, said he didn’t “expect” the outright unwelcoming behavior.
“I understand that you can criticize Mrs Trump, but to say to someone who is coming to shop — full-price, ‘You are not welcome here'. That is something that I would have never expected,” shared Pierre.
Melania Trump's stylist claims American brands are 'not very welcoming toward her'
Previously during another interview with WWD, Herve Pierre explained that the fashion industry is not very "welcoming" toward Melania Trump, who was a model and industry insider herself prior to her marriage to the President-elect.
Pierre revealed that he mostly sources Melania's attires from freestanding stores versus curating looks through designer showrooms or custom designs, as he said he does not favor customizing designs for Melania's looks.
Part of it is because, as Pierre said, of the fashion industry's unwelcoming nature toward the mother of one.
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"I don’t really do that for the good reason that the fashion industry is not very welcoming [of Trump.] That’s no secret,” explained Pierre, before noting, “Some are very open-minded and would be able to do something special. But a lot of people are not.”
Pierre said that the few times when he asked an American brand to customize attire for her, he was told, “Unfortunately, we can’t do that.” He added, “It wasn’t even anything special. Maybe it was in a different color.”
“They say, ‘Oh, she doesn’t dress in American brands'. But you have to not forget that some American brands are not very welcoming toward her. I respect that. But my job is to dress her so I will go wherever I can, if I find the right look that is appropriate," shared the stylist.
As Donald Trump is to be sworn in as the President, Melania is back to the limelight with her impeccable fashion choices after spending four idyllic years away from the spotlight. Recently, she made a stunning entrance at former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral in Washington DC wearing a Valentino dress from the brand's 2019 couture, which several fans speculated to contain a hidden meaning.
