Who needs a rebrand? These guys! After a tumultuous couple of years, involving tax woes, anti-gay comments, and racist accusations, Dolce & Gabbana have come under scrutiny again when Stefano Gabbana, one half of the designer duo, praised Melania Trump on his Instagram account for wearing one of his dresses.
Designers have been careful to endorse the 45th President and his wife, mainly because a lot of them are gay, and the Trump administration isn't exactly queer-friendly. This wasn't a concern for Gabbana, who posted a picture of Mrs Trump wearing a Dolce & Gabbana dress at a New Year's Eve celebration, and hailed her a "#DGWoman":
The picture attracted negative comments from some users, who were fast to point out that, as a gay man, Gabbana should think twice about endorsing Trump's wife. One comment read: "Sad when a gay designer doesn't care about other groups being repressed, how much more money do u need?!?"
To which Gabbana replied: "Dont call me gay please!! Im a man!!! Who I love its my private life!!!" (sic):
(Photo: via gay.it)
The story was covered in Corriere della Sera, one of Italy's leading newspapers, in an article entitled "Chi Ha Paura Di Vestire Melania?" ("Who's Afraid of Dressing Melania?"). Gabbana is quoted, saying: "With all due respect, this doesn't mean I have the same ideas." (The designer also reposted a picture of the article on his Instagram account.)
So far, designers such as Calvin Klein, Thome Browne, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Tommy Hilfigher have reportedly spoken in favor of dressing the next First Lady, arguing American fashion brands should support the US government, and vice versa.
Other brands, such as Joseph Altuzarra, Tom Ford, and Marc Jacobs have said they have no interest in seeing Melania Trump in their clothes.
