Marchesa sees business fallout from Harvey Weinstein scandal, jewellery line axed

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 12, 2017

The Harvey Weinstein scandal is already hitting the business of British designer Georgina Chapman with her and Keren Craig’s Marchesa label seeing plans for a licensed jewellery line being dropped by the licensee as a direct result of allegations around her husband’s sexual activities.

This is despite Chapman saying this week that she had left the Hollywood producer and describing his actions as “unforgivable”.

The jewellery deal, with Helzberg Diamonds, had actually been announced only on the day that the Weinstein scandal broke in the New York Times. It came as the brand seemed to have a strong future ahead of it after being a red carpet regular, embraced by the Hollywood community that has now turned on Weinstein.

Helzberg has called off plans to launch a branded Marchesa Radiant Star engagement ring 18-piece collection that should have been available later this month.

A Helzberg spokesperson confirmed that "the company is not launching the Marchesa brand at this time.”

Helzberg has been active in licensed jewellery and has previously marketed Zac Posen and Disney lines.

But will the core Marchesa brand, which was founded in London in 2004, suffer from the scandal? The brand has benefitted from Harvey Weinstein’s investment cash and most likely from his influence in Hollywood but it remains to be seen whether the movie community will punish the label or will view Chapman as a victim too. 

Marchesa was showing its latest bridal offer when the Weinstein story first appeared in the press and while some negative comments appeared next to the show images that it posted on Instagram, there was also sympathy for Chapman with one post reading “leave Georgina alone!”. 

Some observers have questioned why Chapman’s own business should suffer for the actions of a husband she is now living apart from. But others have said Weinstein’s investment in her firm and reports he pressured stars into wearing Marchesa make it vulnerable in the current climate.

Marchesa has been worn on the red carpet by celebrities including Renée Zellweger, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sienna Miller and Cate Blanchett.