Michael Costello Embroiled in Dispute Over Social Media Tagging
Michael Costello is at odds with a 23-year-old DJ over social media tagging. In a lengthy Instagram post this morning, the designer expressed upset and alleged that DJ Chantel Jeffries refused to tag him in a photo in which she is wearing one of his designs.
“Yesterday, I uploaded a photo of a text exchange between me and @ChantelJefferies [sic],” Costello wrote on Instagram, referring to a post that appears to have since been deleted. “The image shows a conversation I had with her, where I confronted her about not crediting me or tagging me on her social media page the past few times she borrowed dresses from my showroom. She claims that because the dress was lended [sic] to her, she will not tag me. If it was given to her as a gift, she might consider it.”
He added that Jeffries “didn’t think it was necessary” to tag him, and that her manager said she couldn’t due to “pre-existing contractual obligations.” “If she was under an exclusive contract with an individual designer, why did she even walk into my showroom, asking to borrow a dress?” he asked, later alleging that Jeffries shared his phone number with her followers.
“Whether you are paying for a dress, receiving a dress as a gift or borrowing a dress, you should always remember to give credit where credit is due,” Costello continued.
Neither he nor Jeffries has responded to requests for comment at the time of this article.
The topic of social media etiquette as it relates to designer tagging is a timely one. Last week, Louise Linton, wife of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, landed herself in hot water when she tagged the luxury brands she wore in an Instagram photo of her disembarking a government plane. The post went viral over a heated exchange between Linton and a commenter named Jenni Miller. Brands, including Valentino and Tom Ford, subsequently distanced themselves from Linton later that day.
More from WWD.com:
Louise Linton’s Hermès Scarf and Tom Ford Sunglasses Land Her in Instagram Hot Water
Brands Distancing Themselves From Louise Linton Instagram Post
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