They say that Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashians, can pocket a million dollars (more than 850,000 euros) for dressing or sponsoring a certain brand on Instagram. An amount that easily doubles to the $200,000 that designers and luxury firms shell out to great actresses in exchange for visibility on the red carpets of the Golden Globes or the Oscars. But fashion houses are not always so happy to see celebrities wearing their designs. Not only have more than one manager had a micro-infarct after seeing a famous woman at the antipodes of the brand's values ​​walking around one of her dresses, but they have even decided to set aside part of their budgets to prevent it.

It happened, for example, when Abercrombie offered money to Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino (a contestant on the controversial reality show Jersey Shore) to stop wearing his clothes. The brand wanted to make public that it had no interest in being linked to a kid who wore open shirts showing off a six pack tan. Something curious, on the other hand, considering that Abercrombie is known for its shirtless surfer-like clerks. But, of course, the aesthetics of a boy nicknamed 'The Situation' because wherever the mess goes, he did not embody the Californian athlete that the firm had in its imagination. “We are deeply concerned and we think that the appearance of Mr. Sorrentino wearing our brand damages the image. We have offered a large sum of money to him and the producers [of the program] so that he can wear clothes from other brands. We have made the same offer to other participants and we are waiting for a response”, they confessed from Abercrombie, distancing themselves from any appearance of their logo in the contest.

That program raised so many bubbles in the luxury industry that it even triggered the creativity of communication teams. According to what the specialized press published at the time, a competing firm sent Snooki, another of the controversial participants, a Gucci bag to damage the image of the Italian firm. This is how the young woman changed the Coach accessories that she used to wear for the Sukey model of the maison. Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys and a columnist for the NY Observer, explained it this way: “It seems people in high-end houses are getting nervous and giving our Snooki free bags all the time. It's not weird, is it? The amazing thing is that they don't send you their own bags, they send you those of the competition […] It's a brilliant idea and it makes a lot of sense. As much as someone loves this lady, her ability to inspire her fans with her looks is questionable. No one in fashion wants to collaborate with her."

If no one wanted to be associated with a girl who ended up at the police station every now and then, let alone a firm in their right mind would want to have anything to do with a terrorist. Hence, Lacoste came to ask the police for help to prevent Anders Breivik, known as the Utoya murderer for killing 77 people in the name of the fight against multiculturalism and the "Muslim invasion", from taking the crocodile from him. Since he was arrested, the supremacist appeared again and again wearing the brand's polo shirts and even went so far as to encourage his "followers" to buy them in "conservative colors." The Norwegian police confirmed that the brand had contacted them, although they did not reveal what specific measures they had requested.

Another brand in the world of tennis also known for its polo shirts has seen its image linked to the extreme right in recent times. Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, has worn clothes by Fred Perry several times, a brand historically related to the imaginary mod, inherited by the British working class. Although the brand has not commented on the matter, it could cause an image crisis if, suddenly, Abascal's supporters insist on making it their uniform. Something that luckily for the ensign has not happened at the moment. “I am not worried that Abascal, seen as Fred Perry, is not a hegemonic brand among the right. In Madrid, more alternative people continue to wear it and it is not, for now, a political brand”, Eduardo Garrido, founder of the label 198, one of Pablo Iglesias' favourites, told S Moda.

Melania Trump is another of the well-known faces that appears on the blacklists of many firms. Since she became the first lady of the United States, a debate erupted for and against dressing the wife of the man who wanted to end the rights of women and immigrants in the United States. Many brands have been quick to deny having lent him their clothes after his appearances. Ralph Lauren, for example, made it clear that the white jumpsuit with which she celebrated her husband's victory was bought for herself without having contacted them. Delpozo, a firm that she has chosen more than once, also confirmed that the 2,500-euro dress she wore in Poland had been bought by her "probably in a store like Bergdorf Goodman or Saks." Later, however, they shared the image on their social networks. What is clear is that little can be done when the celebrity in question goes to one of your stores and checks out like any other mortal. Even more so when she is the first lady of a world power and cannot be bribed. Altuzarra, for example, made it clear that he did not want to "dress people with whom he disagrees", but he has not been able to prevent Melania from wearing his designs.

There are many labels that have suffered authentic image crises for sneaking into the “wrong” closet. Although luxury brands are increasingly interested in linking themselves to street aesthetics, urban music and the creative scene of the neighborhood, this was not always the case. Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste or Ralph Lauren were scared when, in the 80s and 90s, young people from the New York ghetto wore their clothes. The Lo-Lifes, the Brooklyn gang known for looting stores, looting anything bearing the Ralph Lauren Polo logo, decontextualized the preppy white uniform by turning it into a symbol of the American dream for street kids. The designer never wanted his label to be part of rap culture (even though he himself was born in the Bronx), but much to his chagrin the association still lives on today.

Burberry also suffered in its flesh from being the epitope of the British bourgeoisie to the most counterfeited and parodied brand in the United Kingdom. The book Berberry, by Toby Leigh, collects the most unusual sightings of his famous paintings in the most diverse objects: tattoos, baby carriages and even toilet bowls. The appearance of the actress Daniella Westbrook dressed from top to bottom in the print – and combined with her baby – was the straw that broke the camel's back. That, together with the association of the brand with the chavs, a kind of English 'ninis' close to the hooligan movement, ended up sinking 'checkmania'. So much so that until 2017 the house did not decide to proudly recover the paintings that had made it so famous.

In the national section, the case of the brands that did not want to dress the television company Belén Esteban on her wedding day was quite notorious. As published by El País, after Rosa Clará refused to make her a dress citing lack of time and after Victorio and Lucchino insinuated that they were not going to do it for free, the Sálvame collaborator went to Pronovias willing to buy a bridal design like any girlfriend The story was complicated when, despite having already paid the first advance, the firm refused to dress her. In the end, the 'People's Princess' wore a dress from El Corte Inglés.