Trump appoints handbag designer as U.S. ambassador to South Africa

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Nov 16, 2018

President Donald Trump has nominated South Florida-based designer Lana Marks as the new U.S. ambassador to South Africa. The White House made the official announcement on Wednesday. 

Marks, who is originally from South Africa, speaks Xhosa and Afrikaans, both official languages of the country. She currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida and serves as the CEO of Lana Marks Collections, a luxury handbag label. She is also a member of Mar-a-Lago, the country club and resort owned by Trump. 

Although Marks has no apparent previous diplomatic experience, her local paper The Palm Beach Post wrote that, “like Trump, [Marks] is a relentless self-promoter." Previous to her new appointment, Marks' name last made headlines when the designer made the media rounds to discuss her alleged last moments with the late Princess Diana.

Lana Marks Collections designs are known for their use of alligator skin and ostrich leather, typically retailing for between $6,000 and $19,000. 

The position of U.S. ambassador to South Africa has been empty since Trump's election in 2016, when then-ambassador Patrick Gaspard exited the role. Marks, now 65, reportedly left South Africa at the age of 22. 

Trump's other major interaction with South African politics came via a tweet, when the president quoted a Fox News reporter regarding alleged farm seizures in the African country. The official South African government's Twitter responded by accusing the president of inciting division and hostility between the country's white and black citizens.