Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière is rebuking President Donald Trump and his association with LVMH, the parent company to the luxury leather goods brand, accusing the president of homophobia.
Last week, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault joined Trump — as well as his daughter, Ivanka — to open a new manufacturing plant for Louis Vuitton leather handbags in Keene, Texas. The opening was a celebration for not only Louis Vuitton, but the Trump administration as the plant is set to create 1,000 American jobs over the next five years.
In response to the joint venture, Ghesquière posted on his Instagram a rebuke of LVMH’s Arnault and Trump, accusing the president of being homophobic and labeling him a “joke” in a hashtag. Trump made history in his victorious 2016 campaign when he became the first American president to support gay marriage at the start of a presidential term.
“Standing against any political action,” Ghesquière wrote. “I am a fashion designer refusing this association #trumpisajoke #homophobia,” he continued.
Louis Vuitton’s accessories creative director Camille Miceli liked the anti-Trump post, as well as Paco Rabanne creative director Julien Dossena. Model Teddy Quinlivan, who was found by Ghesquière, commented with support, writing “Thank you for standing on the right side of history.”
The Trump family has been a loyal customer of Louis Vuitton, as many of the Trump women — including First Lady Melania Trump — travel with a collection of the brand’s famous logo-clad luggage.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.