Daily Front Row

2012 January 9

Designers Back Obama In "Runway to Win" Campaign

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Michelle Obama and Jason Wu
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(NEW YORK) Politics and fashion mingle yet again with the latest crop of stylish supporters joining forces for the "Runway To Win" campaign, angling for a reelection of President Obama this November. The campaign, which was quietly announced on Obama's official blog last week, is bolstered by the support of  22 designers—including Tory Burch, Joseph Altuzarra, Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, Alexander Wang, Rachel Roy, Jason Wu, Tracy Reese, Rag & Bone's Marcus Wainwright and David Neville.

The impressive roster of designers hopping on board to support the Obama-Biden platform will whip up easily wearable merchandise, like tote bags, scarves, and t-shirts, inspired by the President (and surely the First Lady's chicness as well), according to WWD. The campaign's e-commerce site, RunwayToWin.com, goes live this Thursday; all proceeds from the politically-charged togs will go to the Obama Victory Fund.

Vogue is said to be instrumental in assembling the high-wattage “Running to Win” designer posse, somewhat unsurprisingly given editrix Anna Wintour’s fervent ongoing support of the Obama administration. Wintour is cohosting a fundraising fete with Scarlett Johansson next month, being planned by Sylvana Ward Durrett, Vogue’s director of special events. Last year, Wintour arranged a swank dinner with co-host Harvey Weinstein at his NYC abode to raise funds for the Democratic National Committee and the Obama Victory Fund—to the tune of nearly $36,000 per person. Wintour has already raised more than half a million dollars for Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, with 10 more months left to continue her adamant fundraising efforts bolstered by the participation of prime talents gracing runways and the pages of her glossy.

It's not the first time fashion heavyweights have come together to back Barack: four years ago, industry powerhouses like Donna Karan, Derek Lam, Isaac Mizrahi, and Zac Posen pledged presidential allegiance to Obama's camp as part of the "Runway to Change" campaign, creating chic totes and T’s. Karan’s lack of involvement with the newest pro-Obama initiative is indicative of parent company LVMH’s rumored exec veto against any of its lengthy list of designers from participating. Jacobs appears to be the rare exception, as the majority of his brand is owned by LVMH and he is on board to design a t-shirt proclaiming and supporting his chosen political party. “Runway to Change” alums reconvening for the “Runway to Win” efforts include Wang, DvF, and Rodriguez. 
ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV