THE FASHIONISTAS REND THEIR GARMENTS : DIANA WEST
It’s mourning in leftist-crazy Fashionworld — Hillary Clinton lost — and black crepe is the new black. The New York Times may well have included a question mark in the headline — “Is Fashion’s Love Affair with Washington Over?” — but there is zero doubt. So nutsy-cuckoo are these creative critters that they are convinced that the election of Donald Trump, which brings to the White House a handsome family of gorgeous fashion models and fashion brands, is the end of Everything Fashion.
The thought of not having to come up with four years’ worth of jewel-tone pant suits, Mao jackets and oven mitts actually has them blubbering into their schmatas. Why? Because the Left lost power.
All they have left are their barbs.
Thus, beneath the headline of a striking photo of the Trump family on Election Night — with Melania Trump, draped in floor-length ivory something, the focal point of the group shot — the caption, so help me:
On election night, Melania Trump wore Ralph Lauren (a white jumpsuit). The outfit was, according to the brand, one she had bought off the rack, as opposed to one that she had worked with the designer create.
Dab of South American frog poison optional.
In case a reader missed it, the text of the story also flails former international fashion model and jewelry designer Melania Trump for general non-fashionness in buying her election night outfit “off the rack [sniff]” — more evidence of “her distance from the industry.”
The ridiculousness is just so much hissy-fitting over the end of the fashion titans sewn-at-the-hip political relationship with Democrat Inc.
More than any other industry, fashion had pledged its troth to Mrs. Clinton. Vogue magazine formally endorsed her, the first time it had taken a public stand in a presidential election. The W magazine editor, Stefano Tonchi, declared his allegiance in an editor’s letter.
Diane von Furstenberg, the designer and chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue and artistic director of Condé Nast, had aggressively raised funds for her, during fashion weeks and beyond: The week before Election Day, they chaired a fund-raiser in Washington at the Georgetown home of Connie Milstein, a major Democratic donor.
Designers including Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs and Prabal Gurung created “Made for History” merchandise for Mrs. Clinton’s campaign store, and contributed to a runway show/benefit during September’s New York Fashion Week. Elie Tahari ran an ad campaign featuring a female president for his fall collection.
At the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund awards last Monday night, the traditional potpies were dusted with paprika letters urging “vote” and festooned with little paper “Hillary for America” flags (in case anyone was wondering for whom). Ralph Lauren became Mrs. Clinton’s de facto sartorial consiglieri, helping her shape her image from the Democratic National Convention to the debate floor.It was to be the culmination of a relationship that began with Mrs. Clinton’s appearance on the cover of Vogue in December 1998, the first time that a first lady had done so.
The relationship gained momentum through the Obama administration, with Michelle Obama’s embrace of the fashion world writ large,
Is that a joke?
from accessible brands such as J. Crew to young designers such as Jason Wu and Christian Siriano and established names like Michael Kors and Vera Wang. (Mrs. Obama also appeared on the cover of Vogue, in March 2009 and April 2013.)
Then this:
In understanding how she [Michelle Obama] could use fashion to “express ideas” — as Joseph Altuzarra, who made clothes for Mrs. Obama and who contributed a T-shirt to Made for History, said — Mrs. Obama elevated the industry from beyond the superficial to the substantive. She framed clothing as a collection of values: diversity, creativity and entreprenuership.
Nonsense with an aura of smug penetrated only by a superlative vacuousness.
Mrs. Clinton seemed primed to continue that trend. …
What’s that old expression?
Traditional potpies dusted with paprika letters urging “vote” and festooned with little paper “Hillary for America” flags are a dish best eaten cold.
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