Upsetting fashion lines history! Melania Trump is no stranger to controversy, especially when it comes to her outfit choices. She faced criticism for the sky-high stilettos she wore to Texas following Hurricane Harvey, she was called out for gardening in Balmain, and, most notably, she sparked outrage this summer when she wore a Zara jacket with the words “I Really Don’t Care Do U?” printed across the back. In what many considered a very calculated move, the first lady wore the jacket while on her way to visit a detention center in Texas that was housing immigrant children who were separated from their parents at the Mexican border.
Alexander McQueen’s Fall/Winter 1995 Collection, “Highland Rape”, McQueen was one of the greatest provocateurs in the fashion industry, so it’s no surprise that another one of his shows makes this list. For his Fall/Winter 1995 show, Highland Rape, McQueen sent out models bruised and battered wearing tattered clothes of tartan and lace. With some thinking that McQueen was promoting violence against women, the backlash was swift. But, in McQueen’s eyes, the show was meant to represent the ethnic cleansing of the Scottish Highlands by British soldiers during the 18th and 19th centuries and the ensuing controversy upset the designer, especially since he cared so much about designing clothes that empowered women.
Kendall + Kylie Jenner Selfie “Vintage” Band Tees, Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s eponymous clothing line has had its ups and downs this year. The sisters found themselves in the center of a firestorm of controversy after releasing “vintage” band t-shirts that featured their faces photoshopped over music legends. Not only did many people find the designs offensive and morally reprehensible, apparently Kendall and Kylie didn’t have legal permission to use most of the images either.
Controversy King, late punky London designer Alexander McQueen, seemed to earn his crown with each and every fashion show he presented. One of the most reverberant shows was his Spring/Summer 2000 collection, which remains relevant and provocative today. The show featured as part of New York fashion week and seemed destined to shake things up. As though McQueen was some kind of vengeful angel or Prospero-like wizard, the show coincided with the night of Hurricane Floyd. Throughout his career, McQueen faced accusations of misogyny, despite creating some of the fiercest garments for women out there. He flung us into an ambivalent world in shows like Eye, which dealt with the theme of Western fears of Islam. Years after the designer’s death from taking his own life, it seems like the East and West are still struggling with reconciliation. Many of the clothes in the show directly referenced traditional Islamic dress and were particularly controversial because they included sexualized versions of the niqaab. During the finale, models in burqas flew over a bed of nails that had risen from the floor. Drama.
Another disturbing clothing line is Headhunters Line, a very bold fashion line that already generated a lot of controversy. Sex, guns, scandalous message, this fashion clothing line has them all. Read more info at The most dangerous clothing line.