Just as the world waits for Donald Trump to take oath on January 20, 2025, the fashion industry is riddled with one question. Who will be pairing up with Melania Trump to work on her attire for the inauguration ceremony?
The soon-to-be First Lady of the United States has always had a bittersweet relationship with the fashion world thanks to her husband’s practices. For those unaware, President-elect Donald Trump has been openly anti-immigrant and against the LGBTQ+ community and their rights. Given that the fashion world has long-running connections to both these sects of society, it is understandable that most designers are not keen on having their names associated with the Trump family.
During Trump’s first term, Melania had a love-hate relationship with the fashion industry. Who can forget her “Safari” outfit during her visit to Kenya? It had serious undertones of colonialism and was considered a major fashion and political faux pas.
Wife of the wannabe dictator goes with the colonist look in Africa…https://t.co/g3EToO7Iw6
— Facts Do Matter (@WilDonnelly) October 5, 2018
Similarly, her long green jacket with I don’t really care, do you written on the back while she was visiting migrant children detention centers was a complete eye-sore, making people question her sincerity. All these scandals were blamed on the lack of designers willing to dress the First Lady.
The fashion industry has been up in arms against the Trump family since the very beginning. For the 2017 inauguration, Melania’s long-time designer and stylist, Herve Pierre, found himself and his muse shunned by the designers and had to buy an off-the-rack Ralph Lauren powder blue cashmere dress. This £5,500 dress was a saving grace for the then in-coming first lady.
Future First Lady Melania Trump’s dress for #Inauguration Day is a custom design by American designer Ralph Lauren. https://t.co/8eKdf6ovY8 pic.twitter.com/NuVhtUicJA
— ABC News (@ABC) January 20, 2017
Sophie Theallet and Jeremy Scott were among the designers who did not entertain Melania Trump’s request. Jeremy is the creative director of Moschino with a clientele of Lady Gaga and Beyonce, and Sophia, a French Designer, boasts the clientele of Oprah and JLo.
‘Designers won’t dress the Trumps,’ source says, as Sophie Theallet writes open letter refusing to dress Melania https://t.co/87wOlnpj8P pic.twitter.com/FmtZ8vidCM
— People (@people) November 18, 2016
Trump is set to take office yet again after the landslide win against Kamala Harris and this time, the view has changed around Melania. Though Trump’s rhetoric against immigrants and the gay community has become stronger, Melania has moved out of his shadow.
Toni Holt Kramer, in an interview with Daily Mail, said that Melania was definitely treated very badly during Trump’s first term and this is the time for all the fashion giants to redeem themselves. The brands who refused to even meet with her team are reportedly now lining up at her door to dress her.
Herve Pierre has told Women’s Wear Daily that this time around, there are several designers from both American and European fashion houses sending their requests to dress Melania Trump. Though no names have been confirmed yet, he is sure that she will consider an American designer to emphasize the message of “America First.” It was also hinted that Melania and her sister Inis are spending this week at Mar-a-Lago and finalizing their looks for the inauguration.
