Ralph Lauren receives backlash for dressing Melania Trump

Melania Trump’s decision to wear a powder blue Ralph Lauren suit to her husband, Donald Trumps's presidential inauguration is already turning out to b

Priyanka Chopra talks career, married life to Instyle Magazine
See designers who won’t be dressing up Melania Trump
Betty Irabor names daughter editor of Genevieve magazine



Melania Trump’s decision to wear a powder blue Ralph Lauren suit to her husband, Donald Trumps’s presidential inauguration is already turning out to be a controversial one. The brand is receiving a bit of blow back for its decision to work with the new First Lady. In fact, the brand worked directly with the 46-year-old former model and the outfit wasn’t bought off the rack. An important distinction, obviously, but one that isn’t sitting well with everyone as people are using the #boycottralphlauren hashtag. Lauren has a history of dressing first ladies, regardless of their political affiliation, having dressed Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, and Betty Ford.

According to the brand’s spokesperson,
“The Presidential Inauguration is a time for the United States to look our best to the world. It was important to us to uphold and celebrate the tradition of creating iconic American style for this moment.”
It’s important to however note that Ralph Lauren deliberately took an apolitical stance by dressing Hillary Clinton for the inauguration as well and Michelle Obama for inauguration weekend. Ralph Lauren isn’t the first fashion brand that people have called for a boycott of because of the Trump family. Retailers that stock the Ivanka Trump brand, including Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and DSW, have faced similar ire.

Designers such as Sophie Theallet, Tom Ford, and Marc Jacobs have all stated publicly that they would decline dressing Melania Trump should they be asked. On the other side of the coin, designers including Carolina Herrera, Thom Browne, and Tommy Hilfiger publicly stated that it would be an honor. Trump finds herself in a very different position than the one Michelle Obama held during her time in the White House, when designers the world over were clamoring to dress her. It’s a given that every style decision the new FLOTUS makes will be analyzed during her husband’s term, but as of now, the fashion world doesn’t appear quite ready to embrace her the way they did Michelle.

Glamour