Keren Craig exits Marchesa following turbulent years after Harvey Weinstein scandal
Marchesa co-founder Keren Craig is saying goodbye to the brand she founded alongside Georgina Chapman 15 years ago.
"While I have made the difficult decision to part ways with Marchesa, I have tremendous pride in the company, the team, and the many successes achieved," 43-year-old Craig says in a statement to WWD.
"Marchesa will always be the realization of a dream. Over the last 16 years, it has been the most incredible and fulfilling professional journey. I am excited to now begin exploring additional creative opportunities and to push my potential as a designer in new directions," she continued.
The brand has long been a red carpet staple for Hollywood A-listers including Cate Blanchette, Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow, following its 2004 establishment. However, the scandals and repercussions surrounding Chapman's then-husband Harvey Weinstein brought the company's lavish repertoire to a standstill.
The news of Weinstein's repulsive behavior broke in October 2017, with numerous accounts of sexual harassment, abuse and blackmail. Those accounts grew to include actresses like Felicity Huffman coming forward to say Weinstein forced them to wear his wife's brand on the red carpet.
"Competitors complain that Marchesa dresses are worn on the red carpet because the stars and their agents, managers, and lawyers need to please the powerful Weinstein, who, along with his brother, has just started his own film company," wrote Los Angeles Times said in 2006. "Say the word 'Marchesa' and publicists groan."
Unsurprisingly, Marchesa began to crumble as the Weinstein news dominated headlines. Employees "fleed" and boycotts ignited, while the brand pulled out of that February's New York Fashion Week. Chapman announced she was leaving her husband after the allegations surfaced that month.
"My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. I have chosen to leave my husband," she said in a statement. The fate of the brand, once reserved for the Hollywood elite and its entrancing $30,000 gowns, was left in question, until Scarlett Johansson showed up to the 2018 Met Gala in none other than a Marchesa gown and Colin Jost on her arm. She was the first star to wear the brand since the allegations became public.
According to reports, it was Johansson who reached out to the brand for the custom opportunity.
"I wore Marchesa because their clothes make women feel confident and beautiful, and it is my pleasure to support a brand created by two incredibly talented and important female designers," Johansson said to ET. Marchesa's "comeback," which was reportedly "orchestrated" by longtime friend Anna Wintour, was slowly finding its footing.
Constance Wu opted for Marchesa at this year's Met Gala; her box-office hit Crazy Rich Asians also featured a dress from the brand, indicative of baby steps towards rehabilitation. Vanessa Hudgens was the only other star to wear the brand since the scandal.
