Michael Kors announced today that he’ll present Hillary Clinton with his first-ever eponymous award for Outstanding Community Service at the annual Golden Heart Awards in October, WWD reports. This marks the second time this year that Clinton will come to New York for a fashion-heavy, celebrity-studded event on the arm of a renowned designer. In June, she was the star guest at the CFDAs, where she presented Oscar de la Renta with his Lifetime Achievement honor. That same night, Oscar blew up her spot while they were both onstage and announced, “Perhaps she wouldn’t like me to say this, but I think she’s going to be our next president.” The crowd then burst into applause while Clinton smiled awkwardly.
It’s no surprise that the fashion industry will get Hillary’s back if she decides to run. But their support is a double-edged sword. On the positive side, they can raise tons of money. Anna Wintour, an unabashed supporter of Hillary’s (she put the then-first lady on the cover of Vogue in 1998), was one of Obama’s top money-bundlers, and holds lots of political sway in New York. But one downside, as Obama discovered, is that the fashion camp can make a candidate look out of touch with the salt-of-the-earth needs of other voters.
The reasons why fashion loves Hillary are plentiful, but here are a few: She’s a Democrat, which has long been the favored party of the industry; she’s a poised, attractive, and charismatic woman, and thus more fun to dress and put in magazines; she’s friends with heavy-hitters like Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, and Anna Wintour; and she’s pro-gay marriage.
Surely Clinton will handle her fashion fan base with care. But until she gets serious about her (inevitable?) campaign, here’s to her gadding about at as many fun parties and wearing as many elegant pseudo-pantsuits as possible.
