Put Some Respect On Her Name: GiGi Hunter, The HBIC Of Crocheted Designs

GiGi Hunter is an American fashion designer known for her chic crochet designs. But lately, the designer’s feud with social media influencer Ari Fletcher is giving her a different kind of attention. And as the saying goes, “Not all attention is good attention.”

GiGi Hunter And Ari Fletcher Beef

Recently, GiGi Hunter called out Ari Fletcher for her unprofessionalism regarding a former collaboration. In 2021, Hunter reached out to Fletcher to send her a custom dress from her collection. She intended for Fletcher to promote the dress by wearing it on social media and crediting her for the design. But after weeks turned into months without any word from Fletcher, Hunter grew concerned.

When Fletcher attended the 2022 BET Awards ceremony wearing a strikingly similar dress on the red carpet, GiGi Hunter didn’t let it slip past her. She says in a recent Instagram post. “[Ari] had me maker her a dress in exchange for a post/tag,” she writes. “She ghosted me and kept the dress only to wear this fake knockoff of my brand LOL.”

But Fletcher fired back, calling Hunter’s dress “ugly” and accusing the designer of assuming that she would wear it. To make matters worse, Fletcher ended her post advising GiGi Hunter to “work on her craft.”

Social Media Response

Gigi Hunter’s Impact

GiGi Hunter was a FORCE in the Hollywood industry in the 90s and early 2000s. She designed crocheted fashions for a long list of celebrity clients, including Patti Labelle, Jennifer Lopez, Pamela Anderson, and Vivica A. Fox. And due to her popularity, many women outside of Hollywood clamored to wear her designs as well. Soon retail and department stores like Nordstrom’s began to carry her clothing. And she eventually started the GiGi Hunter Collection for people to purchase custom designs from her directly.

She also worked on the set of the 1984 Broadway theater performance of “The Wiz.” There, she created custom designs for the performers, including her best friend Jasmine Guy, who helped her start her business as a fashion designer. Today, she designs for celebrity clients like Zendaya, who wore her custom gown on the cover of Essence Magazine. In short, she was and still is THAT girl. Here are eight famous clients that Gigi Hunter has done business with over the years:

Jasmine Guy

Jasmine Guy is a multi-talented actress, singer, dancer, and director. Known for her role as Dina in the 80s film “School Daze,” Guy stole the hearts of many in the Black community. Fans also recognize her as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne on “A Different World,” where she starred alongside Jada Pinkett-Smith, who played Lena James.

The two remained close friends on and off the set and would later collaborate for a photoshoot in the 90s. During the shoot, both women wore GiGi Hunter. Guy stunned in a dark knit jumpsuit that revealed her midriff and legs. Jada wore a crocheted crop top and skirt in the same color.

Beyonce

In 2002, Beyonce visited the set of MTV’s “Total Request Live” or “TRL” to promote her latest projects. There, she discussed her role in the upcoming movie “Austin Powers: Goldmember” and her hit song “Work It Out,” also featured in the movie.

On set, she wore a blue GiGi Hunter halter dress. The mini dress featured an intricate crochet design in the front and an open back held together by knit straps. She accessorized the dress with a turquoise tribal necklace and dark brown waist chain with dangling turquoise charms.

Her dress inspired a number of artists who created similar designs. But unfortunately, many of these designers would steal her ideas without crediting her.

Jessica Betts

Jessica Betts is a talented singer who won the first and only season of “The Road to Stardom With Missy Elliott.” During the reality TV game show, she stole the judges’ hearts with her soulful, soothing voice. And when actress Niecey Nash heard her song “Catch Me,” Betts stole her heart, too.

The lovebirds began dating and would later wed inside their Ventura home in California. Since then, the couple has been inseparable. They even made history as the first same-sex couple featured on the cover of Essence Magazine.

On the cover, Betts wore a tan GiGi Hunter crocheted sweater to celebrate, while Nash gazed into her eyes in a ruched and ruffled dress.

Jada Pinkett-Smith

Add Jada Pinkett-Smith to the list of celebrities GiGi Hunter designed for. The “Red Table Talk” actress debuted an original design while filming for the 1995 Tupac music video, “Temptations.”

The music video is set in a hotel with rapper Coolio peaking through the peepholes of the guests’ rooms. One of the guests, Jada, plays a flirtatious vixen who teases Coolio after noticing him watching her. For her role, she donned a GiGi Hunter knitted maxi dress in a rusty brown color. The midriff-baring peek-a-boo dress featured crocheted side cut-outs that ran down the length of her legs.

Zendaya

In 2020, Essence Magazine celebrated its 50th anniversary. To help commemorate the special occasion, actress and Hollywood IT girl Zendaya graced the magazine’s cover. The cover honored Black resilience, so she paid homage to Donyale Luna, considered the first Black supermodel.

Zendaya channeled the bombshell supermodel by wearing a design similar to the one seen in one of her iconic photos. To help, GiGi Hunter recreated the dress, and the result was nothing short of spectacular. The actress donned Hunter’s black floor-length gown as she posed for the black and white photo. Zendaya served old Hollywood glamour in the long-sleeved dress that highlighted her svelte figure.

Cynthia Bailey

Cynthia Bailey is another one of many celebrities seen sporting a GiGi Hunter design. Fans recognize her as the saucy spitfire in the hit reality TV series “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” During the show, she served the girls looks for days. And she even opened a retail store called CB Vior that sells a collection of luxury leather accessories.

In 2021, she sat down with interviewers as part of the “Real Housewives” show. During the interview, she wore a GiGi Hunter original mini dress in deep purple. The stunning dress featured a sexy, V-cut neckline with a simple drawstring detail below the bust. Her cascading waves grazed the intricate crocheted detail that highlighted the ensemble.

Deelishis

Chandra “Deelishis” Davis is a reality TV star and model known for her appearances on the series “The Flavor of Love.” The show followed rapper Flavor Flav and the 20 women who joined the show to compete for his love. Deelishis was a popular contestant on the series for her back-and-forth beef with her famed rival “New York.”

Flavor Flav eventually chose Deelishis, and the two went on to date briefly. Since then, Deelishis has been in a series of music videos, including Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” and Busta Rhymes’ “Touch It Remix.”

In 2021, Deelishis uploaded several pictures to Instagram, where she served bawdy for days. In the photos, she posed in a fire engine red crocheted two-piece bikini set. The set featured a soft, knit bikini top and matching bottoms with a built-in cover-up.

Tracey Edmonds

Tracey Edmonds is a producer, TV host, and businesswoman. She helped produce the 1997 movie “Soul Food,” starring Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, and others. And she hosted NBC’s television show “Extra,” where she won an Emmy award for her talents as co-host alongside Mario Lopez and Charissa Thompson.

Edmonds is known for her beauty as much as she is for her talents. And she put her beauty on full display in a photoshoot featuring an original GiGi Hunter dress. In a series of photos, Edmonds posed on a couch wearing the golden form-fitting dress with side cut-outs.

Ari Fletcher , Gigi Hunter