There's been a small nebulus of controversy surrounding the white gown Alicia Keys wore to Swizz Beats' Coming to America-themed birthday party last week. Women's Wear Daily is reporting that the fashion label, Marc Bouwer, lent her the dress on the condition she share it out via Instagram to her 2.7 million followers with the label's name in the caption. By neglecting to include the label's name in the caption, Marc Bouwer president, Paul Margolin, tells WWD that Keys' stylist, Jocelyn Goldstein, has reneged on their handshake agreement and should be required to pay the dress' tag price. Margolin did, at one point, receive a call from an executive at Goldstein's agency "thanking him for the dress and telling him how much it meant to Keys," to which Margolin said, "What is that going to do for me? Am I supposed to call my mother to tell her, 'They called to say thank you?'"
It turns out attributing the dress to Bouwer on Instagram would have violated an existing contract Keys has in place with Givenchy, and without the gentleman's agreement laid out in writing, Keys' team has informed Margolin he's out of luck. While this might seem like somewhat of a niche problem, Margolin insists, "It's no joke." It might not literally be a joke, but it is a truly surreal glimpse into how the strange symbiosis of celebrities and fashion functions in the modern social media age. Celebrity endorsement has always held sway, and with the amplified reach of social media platforms that power has only risen in value. While it's easy to dismiss Margolin for calling out Keys's stylist this way, when you're brand has been robbed of that invaluable "It" factor that comes from a celebrity's digital kiss, you're bound to feel the sting. For the complete story, which includes a $539 dry cleaning ticket and a healthy dose of daily drama, pop over to WWD.
