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Tommy Hilfiger hit with backlash: Designers "should be proud" to dress Melania Trump

By Vivian Hendriksz

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Fashion

London - There is a very thin, fine line when it comes to fashion and politics, as U.S designer Tommy Hilfiger has undoubtedly found out.

While some fashion designers have chosen to remain mum when its comes to their thoughts and opinion on Donald J. Trump being elected as the 45th president of the United States, others have been unabashedly open about it.

Sophie Theallet, a New-York based French designer, who has dressed the current First Lady Michelle Obama numerous times, was the first to step forward and issue her decree. In an open letter posted to her label's social media channels, the designer vowed to never dress the future First Lady Melania Trump due to her husband's "racist, sexist and xenophobic campaign." Theallet admits in her letter that she is "well aware it is not wise to get involved in politics" but adds that her company will always "humbly seek to contribute to a more humane, conscious and ethical way to create in this world."

Tommy Hilfiger faces online backlash and boycott for saying designers should be proud to dress the future First Lady

Her letter, in which she encouraged fellow designers to follow in suit, has since gone viral, attracting commentary from other designers and industry insiders, including Tommy Hilfiger. "I don’t think people should become political about it," said Hilfiger on November 21, at the Angel Ball to WWD. "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."

It should come as no big surprise that Tommy Hilfiger came to the defence of Melania Trump however, as the designer and the Trump family go way back. He previously casted Ivanka in a Tommy Jeans campaign when she was just a teenager, placing her alongside of other celebrity children such as Kimberly Stewart, Balthazar Getty and Kidada Jones. "She was a doll, she was a sweetheart," said Hilfiger to Yahoo Style earlier this month on working with Ivanka. "She is today. More sophisticated, more grown up. She’s an amazing girl." In addition, Hilfiger was spotted a week after the election at the Trump Tower in New York City, where Trump has been hosting his transition meetings - although it remains unclear at the moment if the designer was meeting the future U.S president.

Since publicly sharing his viewpoint on dressing Melania, Hilfiger's comments have been picked up and shared by numerous media outlets. Unsurprisingly the public's response to his stand point have been less than kind, as people call for a total boycott of Tommy Hilfiger products. Others, seem less than surprised at his viewpoint.

Other key names in the fashion industry, such as Tory Burch, Prabal Gurung and Marc Jacobs, who all created merchandise for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign run and dressed Michelle Obama have yet to share their thoughts on the matter. FashionUnited has contacted a Tommy HIlfiger representative for additional commentary on the matter, but has yet to receive a response.

Photos: Tommy and Dee Hilfiger, courtesy of UPR

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