President Obama's "Runway To Win" fashion line was roundly mocked by Republicans when it launched in the spring as a way to bolster the president's reelection efforts. However, with the campaign over and fundraising totals in, Team Obama appears to be having the last laugh.
Obama campaign manger Jim Messina told Bloomberg Businessweek's Joshua Green that the venture was a major boon for the president's war chest.
“That ended up bringing in just north of $40 million," he said.
The line, which featured clothes and accessories designed by fashion powerhouses like Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu and Vera Wang, was the brainchild of Vogue editor and Obama bundler Anna Wintour.
"I think the designers are going way beyond the call of duty, turning out tonight when they really ought to be back in their showrooms working," Wintour said of the line in February. "I think it shows how devoted they are to the president that they're all here tonight."
Republicans quickly pounced on the campaign's couture collaboration, blasting the president as out-of-touch with the average American family. The Republican National Committee launched a web ad mocking the line's launch parties, hosted by Wintour and actress Scarlett Johnansson.
"Watching the Obama Campaign host a ritzy New York City fashion show while 12 million Americans are out of work? Priceless," the ad said.
According to the New York Times, Obama's campaign raised a total of $637.3 million throughout the 2012 cycle, versus Mitt Romney's $388.1 million.
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