Melania Trump’s Inauguration Fashion Statement
It began on Saturday night at the vice president-elect’s dinner, when she wore a black velvet column from Oscar de la Renta, that being a bipartisan go-to brand for first ladies on both sides of the aisle. The sartorial balancing act continued through the wreath-laying at Arlington, when Ms. Vance appeared in a white Sergio Hudson matching dress and coat, a nod to a Black designer who was favored by Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris.
Her outreach was further underscored at the president-elect’s candlelight dinner, when she wore a strapless dress by the Indian designer Gaurav Gupta to honor her Indian heritage. And it culminated in more Oscar de la Renta at the swearing-in. (Oscar de la Renta also dressed Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush for previous inaugurations.)
Ms. Vance’s clothes, along with Mrs. Trump’s look, reflected that fact that, much as with the tech titans at the swearing-in, some leaders in the fashion industry are creating distance between themselves and the much-publicized efforts of late 2016 to move away from the Trump family and administration. Instead, they are reframing the relationship.
“The tradition of the presidential inauguration embodies the beauty of American democracy,” Mr. Lippes said in a statement. “Mrs. Trump’s outfit was created by some of America’s finest craftsmen, and I take great pride in showing such work to the world.”
Alex Bolen, the chief executive of Oscar de la Renta (which also outfitted Ivanka Trump for the Arlington ceremony and the candlelight dinner, and may take the record for most inaugural outfits by any one label), wrote much the same in a text. “Oscar always felt that we should try to associate our brand with women of accomplishment — leaders and doers,” he said. “We would never decline the opportunity to work with a leader based solely on their politics. Further, as an American brand, we are honored to be associated with the wonderful traditions surrounding our presidential inauguration.”
Bernard Arnault, the chief executive of LVMH, was also at the swearing-in, as was his daughter Delphine, the chief executive of Dior, and his son Alexandre, who recently moved within the luxury empire from Tiffany & Company to Moët Hennessy.
It’s not just the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali that may be changing.
