All that changed after Donald Trump’s election. She recalls the mood being “palpably dismal” among embroiders when she walked into the Lingua Franca office on November 17, 2017. "The news had been dominated by talk of 45's blatantly anti-Muslim travel ban and there were members of our team who were unsure if or when they would ever see their families and loved ones again," she writes on the brand’s website. MacPherson turned to the one coping mechanism she knew: stitching. She picked up a sweater, embroidered "I MISS BARACK", and posted it on Instagram. It quickly went viral, connecting her with several other designers finding solace in stitching as well.