Designer, Sophie Theallet is the first designer refusing to dress Melania Trump. In an email sent on Thursday, Sophie Theallet announced she will not be dressing Melania Trump and urged other designers to follow.
According to WWD, the open letter from Theallet read: “As one who celebrates and strives for diversity, individual freedom and respect for all lifestyles, I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next First Lady. The rhetoric of racism, sexism and xenophobia unleashed by her husband’s presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by. I encourage my fellow designers to do the same.”
The email went on to enforce that Theallet’s independent fashion brand stands against discrimination and prejudice, but also acknowledged the controversy of her getting involved in politics. The designer argued, “As a family-owned company, our bottom line is not just about money. We value our artistic freedom and always humbly seek to contribute to a more humane, conscious and ethical way to create in this world.”
On the campaign trail, Melania Trump wore an array of designer clothing including; Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Gucci and more—all of which were purchased and not provided nor gifted by the designers themselves.
Theallet has previously dressed First Lady Michelle Obama on several occasions, saying, “her values, actions and grace have always resonated deeply within me.” The designer ended her open letter to the industry by writing, “Integrity is our only true currency.”
Read the letter below.
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