Philipp Plein is the designer that is going to give you a show every fashion week. Infamously known for his over-the-top garments and gaudy aesthetic, Plein has seen much success and continued to open up stores across the world. However, this weekend, the designer faced criticism due to his arguably tasteless tribute to Kobe Bryant.
Fashion month is currently taking over, and during Milan Fashion Week Plein dedicated his fashion show to the late basketball player. The criticism arrived due to Plein using two gold helicopters as a set design for his show almost directly a month after Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash. The designer also sent purple and gold jerseys with ‘Plein’ written across the front along with Bryant’s infamous #24 that are currently priced between $2-3k on his website.
“This is the reason why they were gilded helicopters on the runway,” Plein said in a statement to USA Today. “I would have clearly removed them if possible, but it was too late to replace them.” The designer also said that he profits from the collection will be donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation and the “first $20,000” was sent the day before the show. “It is sad to see how something positive and constructive can be misinterpreted by people who obviously want to interpret negatively without even having a reason,” he continued to say in his statement.
Check out what the internet has to say about the Philipp Plein show at Milan Fashion Week.
