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And now for the main event…

I laughed a little while reading New York’s recent depiction of Lauren Sánchez’s ascendance. A publicist, who asked to be quoted anonymously, said that Jeff Bezos’s future bride would likely wear Oscar de la Renta or Dolce & Gabbana for the wedding ceremony this weekend in Venice, because “Dolce and Oscar don’t care. They’re dressing the Trump family.” This seemed like an unsophisticated observation, at best. LVMH-owned Dior—where sales are down double digits this year, according to analyst estimates and my own reporting—also dresses the Trump family, and its C.E.O., Delphine Arnault, attended the president’s inauguration alongside Bezos and Sánchez. Not only do MAGA Republicans wear couture, to misappropriate the old Michael Jordan–ism about sneakers, but in this era of political cronyism and favoritism, everyone needs to play the game—or, at the very least, everyone is playing along. If Sánchez wants to wear Dior, she will. Or Chanel. Or, who knows? An off-the-rack Alaïa?

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The question, really, is whether Sánchez cares. Unlike Kim Kardashian, who spent years ingratiating herself with the fashion industry to earn credibility, Sánchez’s tactic to make the business pay attention isn’t charm or politesse: It’s otherworldly, robber-baron money that doesn’t buy class, but lets her act any way she pleases. She’s not seeking approval, she’s seeking pleasure, and we all know fashion people can be torture. She’s also already gone right to the top. The influence of Anna Wintour on Sánchez’s choice of dress is real—she was involved, I’m told—but likely overstated. While Condé Nast’s chief content officer often offers support in such circumstances—for instance, if Sánchez did want a custom look from a brand and was getting pushback, I could see Wintour making a call—the reality is that Sánchez doesn’t need Wintour. (As utterly ridiculous as the rumor was late last year that Sánchez, not Bezos, was going to buy Condé Nast, it still underscores the power dynamics.) Anyway, I’ve confirmed that Sánchez will be wearing Dolce & Gabbana for the ceremony, for the simple reason that she likes it, those guys are nice to her, and Wintour approves. (I’m told Wintour also arranged for Bezos to wear a tux from the Italian brand. Reps for Wintour, Bezos, Sánchez, and Dolce & Gabbana did not respond to a request for comment.) That means Sánchez will not wear Oscar de la Renta for the ceremony, but will certainly do so over the course of the festivities; I imagine she’ll change looks, all of which she paid for, more than a dozen times. (I heard that, for one event, the dress code is pajamas.) Remember that Oscar de la Renta’s designers, Monse founders Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, outfitted Sánchez and her girlfriends for their trip to space. (Never forget Blue Origin.) What I wouldn’t rule out—and what is almost guaranteed—is a Vogue spread in the coming months. Perhaps even a cover. Although maybe Wintour will throw that one to Vanity Fair, whose new global editorial director, Mark Guiducci, begins June 30. (By the way, if Wintour is indeed attending the wedding—which, according to my sources, she is not planning to—my bet would be that she turns up for the ceremony only.)

I wonder what Karl Lagerfeld (or Andy Warhol) would have thought of Sánchez. Hers is a very superficial, Hollywood way of approaching fashion; Sánchez appears less concerned with clothes as an intellectual pursuit, à la aristocratic socialites such as Daphne Guinness or quaint couture clients like Danielle Steel. Sánchez has, probably, barely, heard of JAR. For her, it’s about looking glamorous. Or, in modern parlance, hot and rich. Sánchez works with a variety of stylists, none of whom have industry bona fides, but who have managed to nudge her beyond the typical Fox News personality jewel-tone dresses. There’s Kelly Johnson, a costume designer by trade, who seems to have the primary gig. But now, as Sánchez’s public profile has further increased, she has enlisted Molly Dickson, whose most famous clients are Sydney Sweeney and Keke Palmer. Dickson has a sterling reputation, but she’s not viewed as a heavy hitter in fashion circles.

Ironically, it’s Bezos who’s getting help from one of the few Hollywood insiders who has managed to convincingly embed inside fashion, too. I’m told that Jamie Mizrahi, who mixes as easily with Nicolas Ghesquière as she does Jennifer Lawrence, advised on Bezos’s wardrobe for the wedding festivities. (Mizrahi could not be reached for comment.) There’s no denying that Sánchez’s wardrobe has evolved. As her face and body have transformed, her stylists—mostly Johnson—have dressed her in downright inspired vintage Thierry Mugler suits and modern Alaïa dresses that appear to have been poured into the silicone mold that is her body. (Recently, Dickson put her in a vintage John Galliano dress once worn by Sophia Loren.) The truth is, if Sánchez wants fashion to pay attention, and if she wants to land on the cover of Perfect magazine, she could. But she has to want it… and, again, the question is simply whether she actually cares. Meanwhile, over in Paris, the people who do care will be at Jonathan Anderson’s debut Dior menswear show. Both epics take place on Friday evening, seemingly a million miles apart. Sure, a private jet could probably ensure attendance at both—Dior starts at 2:30 p.m.—but I’m guessing the overlap in guest lists is, perhaps, one. Let’s see which one Derek Blasberg chooses. (Just kidding, money always wins out in the end…)

The most compelling part of this piece on Bernard Arnault’s current crisis is what the analysts and investors on the outside had to say. One shareholder in LVMH suggested the company do a portfolio review and sell some assets. HSBC’s Erwan Rambourg called Sephora “non-core” and suggested it may not make sense to hold on to it “long-term.” Wow. Not sure I agree, but the point is: People have notes. [Bloomberg] Interesting little tidbit: Willy Chavarria has apparently interviewed for the Fendi gig. [WWD] Prada brand C.E.O. Gianfranco D’Attis is leaving. [WWD] I love this Perfect cover of Giorgio Armani. He looks so human! [Instagram] The best press trips have become less for press—or traditional content creators, even—and more for people who can serve as micro-advertisements for the brand. So far this year, Haider Ackermann and Canada Goose, Comme Si, Matteau, J.Crew, and… Kerrygold have all designed outings in this vein. But the award might go to Max Mara, which got Gwyneth Paltrow to show up to Reggia Di Caserta last weekend. [W] UTA’s Darnell Strom, whom many of you know because he knows everyone—and reps everyone from Michaela Coel and Jonathan Anderson to Karlie Kloss and Mickey Down and Konrad Kay—is moving to the U.K. to head up the talent agency’s London office just weeks after David Kramer was installed as C.E.O. [Inbox] Yes to Loewe’s Tomato Leaves candle. Here, the brand’s perfumer explains why. [Air Mail] The most disturbing thing I found while reporting on the New York union’s strike threat was how little money much of the star talent earns, which is one of the points my colleague Dylan Byers makes about New York writer Charlotte Klein’s piece on The Atlantic’s recent hiring spree. (Another note: I’d argue that political journalism is more in demand than other kinds of journalism, and garners higher salaries generally.) [In the Room]

And finally… I’m over it. Until tomorrow, Lauren P.S.: We are using affiliate links because we are a business. We may make a couple bucks off them.

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