Speculation is rife about what Melania Trump will wear during the inauguration and throughout her husband’s second term as President. Despite the prestige that comes with dressing the First Lady of the United States, Melania has not been a popular choice among designers.
Women’s Wear Daily reached out to 16 designers to ask if they would dress the former Slovenian model and gauge her potential impact on fashion, but none responded. Representatives for Michael Kors, Prabal Gurung, Diotima’s Rachel Scott, Zankov’s Henry Zankov, Sergio Hudson, House of Gilles’ Gilles Mendel and his daughter Chloe, and Tanner Fletcher’s Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kassel either declined to comment or were unavailable.
During Donald Trump’s first election, several high-profile designers including Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, Zac Posen and Tom Ford publicly refused to dress Melania. It seems little has changed this time around.
When Melania first became FLOTUS, she predominantly wore European designers such as Dior, a trend she continues today. She was seen in the luxury brand twice on Election Day – a black and white polka dot shirtdress to vote in Palm Beach and a grey suit for her husband’s victory speech on election night.
Melania Trump has often been seen in designs by French designer Hervé Pierre, who created her white off-the-shoulder crepe column gown with a thigh-high slit for the inaugural Ball. After this event, Pierre became Melania’s go-to stylist, reports the Irish Star.
While she predominantly opts for European fashion, she occasionally dons American designers’ creations. For instance, she wore a custom pale blue Ralph Lauren cashmere dress and matching suede gloves at the 2017 inauguration.
It remains uncertain whether she will repeat this choice in 2025. Other American designers she has worn include Michael Kors and Proenza Schouler.
Pierre revealed to WWD that he purchases Melania’s designer outfits from freestanding stores, a practice he continues to this day. He estimates that 95% of her wardrobe is bought this way, rather than from designer showrooms or custom designs, which former first ladies have favoured.
Pierre prefers not to work directly with designers or receive their sketches for potential designs. “I don’t really do that for the good reason that the fashion industry is not very welcoming [of Trump.] That’s no secret,” he explained.
“Some are very open-minded and would be able to do something special. But a lot of people are not.”
Pierre recalled an incident where he was told he “was not welcome here” while shopping in a designer’s store on Madison Avenue in New York City. He chose not to name the store, stating he did not want to give them “not wanting to give them this free publicity.”
Pierre expressed, “I understand that you can criticise Mrs. Trump, but to say to someone who is coming to shop – full-price, ‘You are not welcome here.’ That is something that I would have never expected,” when speaking about the incident with the American brand.
He expanded on this by stating, “Some of the designers here in New York are lovely. The Europeans are more open-minded. They see dressing Mrs. Trump, due to the press coverage that she is getting, as a business opportunity to generate sales and free publicity,”.
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