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The Future of Marchesa in Light of Harvey Weinstein Allegations: Industry Insiders Weigh In

UPDATE:  Harvey Weinstein and his wife, Georgina Chapman, have split, a source confirms to Us Weekly.“My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions,” the Marchesa designer said in a statement to People on Tuesday, October 10. “I have chosen to leave my husband. Caring for my young children is my first priority and I ask the media for privacy at this time.”

As the allegations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein continue to pile up from Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd, Rosanna Arquette and many more women, one woman at the center of it all has been silent: his wife and Marchesa cofounder Georgina Chapman.

Harvey Weinstein Georgina Chapman
Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman Dominique Charriau/WireImage

Related: Julianne Hough’s Elegant Marchesa Wedding Dress: Everything You Need to Know About It

She was busy prepping her fashion label’s 2018 bridal collection presentation in New York City when news of the allegations first broke on Thursday, October 5. And while the 41-year-old designer and mother of two hasn’t addressed the allegations publicly, and her fashion label has yet to release a statement, fashion insiders are talking.

“Unless the brand comes out quickly and publicly against him, and by ‘the brand’ it would need to be Georgina, and does something impactful, whether that’s money to or the establishing of an organization supporting women, it’s over,” a celebrity stylist tells Us Weekly

JLO
Jennifer Lopez at the 79th Annual Academy Awards in 2007. Frazer Harrison/Getty

Another industry insider pointed out that much of the fashion label’s money comes from Harvey himself. “The brand will likely die over this, unless it has the reverse effect, meaning the humiliation Georgina and Keren [Craig, Marchesa cofounder] have to withstand over this may lead to people wanting to support them,” they tell Us. “But the problem is that he has too much money in it. It’s all his money in the brand.”

Related: Stars in Stunning Marchesa Designs

Hollywood A-listers including Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, Kate Hudson, Emma Watson, Blake Lively and Selena Gomez have all worn Marchesa in the past, but an insider says it may not have always been every actress’ first choice. “It’s no secret that actresses in Weinstein productions are coerced into wearing Marchesa on the red carpet,” an industry insider tells Us. “There was an incident regarding a prominent actress who was in a major Weinstein awards season film who was working on a deal to wear a different designer on the carpet and that fell through at the 11th hour because the actress was told that she had to wear Marchesa. Ultimately she didn’t, because she got paid to wear another designer but we heard there was major fallout with Harvey. The thinking is that’s just the way it goes with any actress in a Weinstein film, they have to wear Marchesa.”

Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in 2010. Frazer Harrison/Getty

One stylist said their company forbid employees from pulling any Marchesa gowns going forward. “There was an email sent out after the scandal broke to hold styling anyone in Marchesa until there was a company wide meeting,” a source told Us. “The decision was reached that unless Georgina cuts ties from her husband or donates proceeds to a women’s organization, no one is allowed to pull any Marchesa dresses for clients. It was hard for everyone to come to this because it’s a hard position for Georgina to be in and everyone in the fashion industry loves her.”

Weinstein, 65, has been under fire since The New York Times published a bombshell report detailing nearly 30 years of allegations against him last week. He was fired from The Weinstein Company on Sunday, October 8. The New Yorker published a report on Tuesday morning that included multiple allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 1990s, and an audio recording where he admitted to groping Filipina-Italian model Ambra Battilana.

Related: Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Pack on the PDA at Marchesa Show

“Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein,” the producer’s rep said in a statement to The New Yorker on October 10. “Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. Mr. Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual. Mr. Weinstein has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path. Mr. Weinstein is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance.”

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