Marchesa had plans to release an exclusive new collection of engagement rings in a deal with Helzberg Diamonds. That deal fell apart on the same day that The New York Times published the first article on the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Chapman and her co-founder, Keren Craig, made the decision to cancel Marchesa’s summer 2018 preview show which was planned for late October. People on social media are calling for a boycott of the brand on social media. Employees of the company have been quitting in droves in fear that Marchesa will not recover from its association with Weinstein. Marchesa is also at risk of losing its very important red carpet business. Actresses including Renee Zellweger, Blake Lively, and Cate Blanchett are known for wearing Marchesa gowns on the red carpet. It was revealed that Weinstein strongly advised that actresses in The Weinstein Company projects wear Marchesa on the red carpet. That association is likely to taint this aspect of the fashion company’s business as well. The Hollywood Reporter quoted an anonymous New York based fashion publicist as saying: However, all is not lost for Marchesa. Chapman did disassociate herself from her husband as soon as the news broke. That fact is not lost on the fashion media. Venerable magazine editor Anna Wintour told The New York Times: Wintour is a longtime friend of Chapman and Weinstein and has featured Marchesa prominently in the pages of Vogue over the years. Wintour’s support of Chapman, especially if she paints her as another victim of Weinstein, could pave the way for Marchesa to flourish in its second act—even if stars no longer wear the gowns on the red carpet.
