Hervé Pierre: French-Born Designer Of Melania Trump’s Dress Gets ‘Buy American’ Backlash [Photos]

First lady Melania Trump’s dress designer has been revealed: Hervé Pierre. According to the New York Times and INYT fashion director/critic Vanessa Friedman, Melania’s dress represented not only the work of Hervé Pierre alone — but he received input from his co-creator, Mrs. Trump herself. Hervé is the former creative director of Carolina Herrera, having served 14 years with Herrera New York, according to WWD. The publication describes the gown designed by Melania and Hervé as a vanilla silk gown with a red ribbon.

Pierre left Herrera’s company as creative director back in February of 2016. According to WWD, the publication confirmed Pierre’s departure from the company during that time period, but would not disclose the details of why Hervé decided to leave the designer’s house. According to the New York Times, during the time that Pierre left, it was a turbulent time for Herrera. Yet and still, the publication noted that Carolina stated that after 14 years serving as creative director, it was simply time for Herrera to change — a change that he felt as well, according to Carolina.

According to Fashionista, Pierre was fired after a lunch in celebration for the February 15 fall runway show. Hervé was not apparently let go by Carolina, but he was allegedly fired by CEO and president François Kress — a rumor that Herrera denied and called false gossip. Instead, Carolina said she approved of Pierre moving on, and added that she and Hervé remained friends.

Whatever happened, now that Pierre is gaining a bunch of attention and praise for dressing Melania, Herrera is likely proud of her former creative director. Pierre did not give comments to publications after his transition from Carolina’s designing house from being one who was “in charge of all the collection, special projects and celebrities at Carolina Herrera New York.”

Although there is backlash on social media already for Mrs. Trump not using an American designer, Hervé relocated to New York decades ago, and joined Carolina’s designing house in 1992. Pierre grew up in the Loire Valley, which is located in central France, in a stretch of the Loire River within the region named Centre-Val de Loire. Hervé matriculated at the Écoles de la Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in the late 1980s.

Therefore, although some folks are commenting on Hervé’s French background — and how it might go against the “buy American” mantra — those same folks might not realize how many decades the French-born Pierre has worked in New York after relocating from France.

As seen in the above photo, the full scope of the dress that Pierre designed along with Mrs. Trump can be seen during Melania’s first dance with President Trump at the Liberty Ball, on Friday, January 20. The dress by Hervé and Melania is being praised by some fashion critics due to the way the long slit highlighted Mrs. Trump’s legs.

Some of the feedback about Pierre’s creation from folks publishing their thoughts can be read below.

“Yup- white, off-the-shoulder gown by Hervé Pierre!”

“Market Watch – Moneyism: Melania Trump helped design her Hervé Pierre inaugural gown.”

“Bravo HERVE PIERRE The @FLOTUS dress was nice. Simple with beautiful details!”

“Hervé Pierre did the first lady and Ivanka proud. Two designs both breathtakingly elegant.”

“I’m expecting an ‘Herve Pierre for Target’ line very soon as the populist revolution continues. #Inauguration”

“Melania Trump has known her inaugural gown designer Herve Pierre for years; he is also styling her.”

Pierre’s photo can be seen in a former bio from a ballet company.

[Featured Image by Rob Carr/Getty Images]