“I Have Never Felt More Displaced”: The Fashion Industry Mourns Trump’s Victory On Social Media
For an industry built by immigrants, people of color, women, and LGBTQ, Donald Trump’s victory was nothing short of a tragedy. Here are their words and reactions.
“When you realize your adopted country does not love you back. I have never felt more displaced,” wrote the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund designer Aurora James of Brother Vellies on Instagram following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States in the early hours of Wednesday morning. “As a woman. As a person of color. As a human.”
For an industry built by immigrants, people of color, women, and LGBTQ, Trump’s victory was nothing short of a tragedy for fashion designers, models, and bloggers alike, many of whom expressed feelings similar to James on social media. Pieter Mulier — Raf Simons’ right hand man who just moved to America to start work at Calvin Klein — expressed through a hashtag that he “wants to go home” to Europe. Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci wrote, “R.I.P. U.S.A.” And Canadian model Grace Mahari called out America’s bigotry in her post.
On the other hand, Dao-Yi Chow of Public School and DKNY wrote: “I’m woke,” and said that despite the obvious blow and the trend to “Move to Canada,” he will not leave the city he calls home. He continued: “Instead of retracting and moving overseas — that wouldn’t be very New York of me — I promise to get out there and help prepare my children and other children to see the world for what it is and subsequently what it could be.” Alber Elbaz, the former Lanvin designer, also had a more optimistic post, using hashtags like #HealTheNation.
Below, a roundup of the fashion industry’s somber reactions to America’s new president.
Dao-Yi Chow of Public School DKNY
Aurora James of Brother Vellies
Pieter Mulier, Raf Simons right hand at Calvin Klein
Jonathan Anderson of J.W. Anderson and Loewe
Dilone, model
Grace Mahary, model
Naomi Campbell, supermodel
Riccardo Tisci, designer at Givenchy
India Menuez, artist and model
Alber Elbaz, former designer at Lanvin
Mariacarla Boscono, model
Garance Doré, blogger
Petra Collins, artist and model
Susie Bubble, blogger
