Fashion designer Donna Karan has weighed in on the unfolding Harvey Weinstein scandal, wondering whether women are asking for sexual harassment based on how they dress.
She later apologised for her comments and stated they were “taken out of context.”
Read: The ugly sexual assault allegations levelled at movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
During a red carpet interview on Sunday, Karan called Weinstein and his wife Georgina Chapman “wonderful” people and said the issue wasn’t with Harvey himself.
“How do we display ourselves? How do we present ourselves as women? What are we asking?” she said.
“Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and sexuality?”
The designer continued, “You look at everything all over the world today, how women are dressing and what they’re asking by just presenting themselves the way they do. What are they asking for? Trouble.”
Karan is no longer the chief designer for her brand.
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In a statement released on Monday, Karan explained that she “made a statement that was not representative of how I feel or what I believe.”
“My statements were taken out of context and do not represent how I feel about the current situation concerning Harvey Weinstein. I believe that sexual harassment is NOT acceptable and this is an issue that MUST be addressed once and for all regardless of the individual.”
“I am truly sorry to anyone that I offended and everyone that has ever been a victim,” she concluded.
Rose McGowan, one of the women named in the New York Times expose as having settled with Weinstein in 1997, called out Karan for her comments in a tweet.
"Donna Karan you are a DEPLORABLE Aiding and abetting is a moral crime," she wrote.
Meanwhile, George Clooney, one of the most high-profile male actors in Hollywood, has labelled movie Weinstein's actions "indefensible" in an interview with The Daily Beast.
Clooney admitted he had heard rumours that started in the 1990s regarding women sleeping with Weinstein for roles, but had dismissed them as a way to belittle the talent of the women.
"The part we're hearing now about eight women being paid off, I didn't hear anything about that and I don't know anyone that did," he said.
"That's a whole other level and there's no way you can reconcile that. There's nothing to say except that it's indefensible."
Top Comments
Perhaps she meant the recent fashion last year on red carpets of the "nude" dress? Where strings were strategically placed with glue or something, but no actual fabric. Or the "vag flashing " we saw in articles on this site? Or sheer fabric with the breasts fully visible. I'm glad to see the red carpet fashions have moved on, but many of our youth will still be wearing "nude dresses" as fashion catches up.
What he did was very wrong. He didn't have any excuse, as presumably the women at the time were mostly fully clothed. But women do need to think what message they are sending out if their genitals or nipples are showing, and I'm guessing that is what the fashion designer meant.
Taken out of context my bum. She knew exactly what she meant. What an archaic, ridiculous, victim blaming attitude.
If I can not sexually harass a guy who has his shirt off, I expect men to be able to do the same.