The shoes of politicians have caused a lot of reaction in recent days, and not only in Quebec. Rishi Sunak, the conservative British Prime Minister, caused quite an uproar because he wore the trendy Adidas Samba sneakers in an interview… and thus killed the coolest fashion trend of the moment!
This is what the British, social networks and Samba fans accuse him of. THE GuardianTHE TelegraphL’Observe and even the New York Times wonder: did Rishi Sunak signify the end of the Samba trend in one fell swoop? Did he make Samba outdated? Why wear Samba, the retro sneaker favorite of the stars for almost a year?
PHOTO FROM RISHI SUNAK’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
The British Prime Minister, with her Adidas Samba on her feet, in an interview with Beth Turbutt-Rogers
This Adidas model created in the 1970s is experiencing a new golden age since it has been seen on the feet of many celebrities: Rihanna, Harry Styles, Bella Hadid, Bradley Cooper and Kendall Jenner have adopted the Samba. Due to the controversy, the British Prime Minister, in a humorous tone, apologized to Samba fans on LBC radio. “In my defense, I will say that I have worn Adidas sneakers, including the Samba model and others, for many, many years! “, explained Rishi Sunak.
For Stéphane Le Duc, it doesn’t take much to make and break fashion. “We live in an image society where everything is scrutinized down to the smallest detail,” analyzes the man who is a lecturer at the ESG UQAM Fashion School. “Harry Styles and Rihanna are fashion leaders, so we’re going to want to take inspiration from them…but suddenly there’s the opposite effect. The British Prime Minister wears Samba, and we definitely don’t want to identify with him, even if it’s good to see politicians who have a certain fashionable look. But we don’t want to be associated with it! “, he said.
Shoes, just like watches, jewelry and handbags, are accessories that speak and can betray tastes. Several people were shocked by the (too) luxurious Louboutin pumps (worth more than a thousand dollars) worn by Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau during an announcement on social housing. Let’s not forget the judicious purchase of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who chose a pair of pumps from the Quebec brand Maguire (Alegre model, $230) to present her budget.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tries on Maguire shoes with sisters Romy and Myriam Belzile-Maguire, co-founders of the brand.
They’re just shoes, you might say, but they say a lot about the message we want to convey. “There is communication through clothing, through everything we wear. You have to be very careful about the event you are attending and the circumstances. Politicians are closely watched and criticized for the slightest misstep. French President Emmanuel Macron is very careful about the suits he wears, they are made in France, at a decent price. We also closely scrutinize the appearance of Justin Trudeau,” explains Stéphane Le Duc, who is also an ambassador for LaSalle College.