Melania Trump is officially back at the White House for a second term. On Monday, she and Donald Trump moved back into their old home after a full day of celebrations, and the press coverage was, of course, extensive.
Melaniaโs outfits have always been of great interest to fashion experts and members of the public alike. Her inauguration outfits didnโt disappoint, even if one accessory, her hat, left people baffled. Interestingly, one report suggested that several designers had declined to work with her before the inauguration.
The First Lady of the United States has worked with many designers throughout her career, but lately, sheโs worked with New York City-based designer Hervรฉ Pierre Braillard. He previously expressed how heโs experienced negative reactions to his cooperation with Melania. At the same time, Braillard revealed the reason why sometimes itโs hard to find the right outfit for her.
Melania and Donald resumed residence at the White House on Monday. After months of preparation following the election win in November last year, the President and the First Lady of the United States have been preparing for their second term at the White House, appointing new staff and laying out a plan for what they want to do.
While there was much secrecy surrounding Inauguration Day, when Joe and Jill Biden move out and Donald and Melania Trump move in, the public got, for the first time, basically ever, an inside look at what actually goes on when one president is leaving and one president is arriving.
Shortly before Melania and her husband moved into the White House, the First Lady of the United States sat down withย Fox and Friends toย discuss her new documentary.
In early January, Amazon confirmed they had begun filming a behind-the-scenes documentary about Melania, which will be released in theaters later in 2025. As per Puck News, three people familiar with the deal said itโs worth $40 million in licensing.
Melania Trump to feature in new documentary
โSo I had an idea to make a movie, to make a film about my life. My life is incredible. Itโs incredibly busy and I told my agent I have this idea so please go out and make a deal for me. We started the production in November and we are shooting right now. So itโs a day-to-day life. What Iโm doing, what kind of responsibilities I have, people they donโt really know and they will see it,โ Melania told Fox.
โItโs day-to-day from transition team to moving to the White House, packing, establishing my team, the First Lady office, moving into the White House. What it takes to make the residents your home, to hire the people that you need.โ
The incoming First Lady also discussed moving into the White House again, explaining that this time would be different as she knew the process.
โI have the plans, I could move in, I already packed, I already selected the furniture that needs to go in, so itโs a very different transition this time, second time around,โ Melania said.
โWhat happened is on January 20, the transition team has only five hours to move Bidens out and to move us in, so everything needs to be planned to the minute.โ
Melaniaโs outfits have been a major talking point for years. Perhaps readers will recall when she wore a jacket with the words โI REALLY DONโTย CARE, DO U?โ when visiting a migrant housing facility in Texas during her first term as First Lady? While that was one of the more negative stories associated with Melaniaโs fashion choices, the coverage has by-and-large mostly centered about her fabulous dresses and other clothing.
Why designers didnโt want to work with Melania for the inauguration
But being the First Lady has also brought some problems for Melania when it comes to getting to work with some of the best designers in the world, not least because of her background as a model.
As reported byย Womenโs Wear Dailyย prior to the inauguration, representatives forย designer brands such as Michael Kors,ย Diotimaโs Rachel Scott, Zankovโs Sergio Hudson, and House of Gilles declined to comment on whether they would want to work with Melania for the big day. Previously, during Donald Trumpโs first term, designers such as Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, and Jason Wu publicly refused to dress Melania.
One individual who has worked closely with Melania over the years is French designer Hervรฉ Pierre Braillard, the former creative director of Carolina Herrera. Speaking withย Womenโs Wear Daily, he explained that he hasnโt gotten a good answer as to why some people wonโt work with the First Lady.
The French designer recalled that his work with the Trumps had a negative impact on his life. When shopping in a designerโs store in New York City, a person once told him he โwas not welcome here.โ
โI understand that you can criticise Mrs. Trump, but to say to someone who is coming to shop โ full-price, โYou are not welcome here.โ That is something that I would have never expected,โ Pierre said.
โSome 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,โ
Melania Trumpโs stylist reveals why itโs tricky to dress her
So, how does one go about helping get Melania Trump the best possible outfits to ensure she outshines everything else in the room sheโs in? Well, Hรฉrve Pierre Braillard revealed quite the secret in an interview withย The New York Timesย in 2017. According to him, Melania rarely wears specially designed pieces just for her โย but rather clothing straight off the rack.
Braillard revealed that Melania usually looks inside her own wardrobe when she wants to wear an American designer looking for high-end fashion houses. Otherwise, Pierre can also find her these pieces. He never reveals who itโs for when he buys pieces for Melania.
โI go to Bergdorf, I go to Saks. Michael Kors, Dior,โ he told the New York Times. โWhat is challenging is when I cannot say what it is for.โ
Moreover, Pierre always asks if the piece has recently been worn on any red carpet, as he doesnโt want Melania to end up on a โWho Wore It Betterโ list.
โI donโt really do that for the good reason that the fashion industry is not very welcoming [of Trump.] Thatโs no secret,โ he told Womenโs Wear Daily. โSome are very open-minded and would be able to do something special. But a lot of people are not.โ
Melaniaโs inauguration hat went viral
Melania got plenty of publicity for her outfit on Inauguration Day, not least her hat. It was designed by Eric Javits, who said in a statement that dressing Melania was one of the greatest honors of his career.
โMy art background gave me an edge in bringing harmony and balance to the face by creating hat shapes that would flatter and enhance every kind of face,โ Javits said in a statement. โIn this specific case that was not difficult to do, in that Mrs. Trump is blessed with great bone structure, beauty and a wonderful sense of style.โ
The hat made it hard to see Melaniaโs eyes, but even though it appeared to be sitting stabily, her husband had other ideas. When speaking in Emancipation Hall, Donald joked that her hat nearly blew away while standing beside a military helicopter.
โShe almost blew away,โ Trump said and laughed. โShe was being elevated off the ground.โ
In addition to the hat, Melania wore a navy silk wool coat with a navy skirt and an ivory silk crepe blouse created by American designer Adam Lippes. Later, for the Inaugural Ball, Melania changed her outfit, wearing a dress designed by Hรฉrve Pierre Braillard, complimented with a black choker from jeweler Harry Winston.
โIt was such an honor to create the dress for the First Lady Melania Trump tonight.. I canโt thank her enoughโฆ it was a wonderful project, a great collaborationโฆ as always !!!!โ Perย Newsweek, Pierre wrote onย Instagram, providing a sketch for the dress.
Melania Trumpโs jewelry for Inauguration Ball carried a secret message
While Melaniaโs hat was said to have sent a powerful message, social media users quickly began analyzing the First Ladyโs outfit for the ball. The jewels designed by Harry Winston that Melania wore appeared to have a secret nod to the American Dream.
Harry Winston had previously dressed Hollywood superstars such as Marilyn Monroe and Katherine Hepburn and even designed the engagement ring for former First Lady Jackie Kennedy.
As per the Daily Mail, Winston donated diamonds to the Smithsonian to start the National Gem Collection and later wanted to have a permanent collection of gems worn by First Ladies. He wanted to call it โAmerican Queens. โ However, the Smithsonian declined it due to what they said was โinconsistent with our democratic traditions.โ
So, how did Melania pay tribute to the American Dream with her jewelry? As per Newsweek, one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the outfit was significant.
โMelania Trumpโs inaugural ball gown has already entered the pantheon of iconic fashion moments. But letโs uncover its little secret! A subtle tribute to the American Dream,โ one userย wroteย in a viral threat, which has been viewed more than nine million times.
โCrafted in off-white silk crepe and strapless, the gown is adorned with two black gazar bands that bring the ensemble to life in a three-dimensional interplay of geometry, music, dance, and, according to some, a stylized bouquet.โ
โThe American Dream
The X user went on to claim that the Harry Winston choker Melania wore represented Winstonโs hard work as the son of two parents, who were Ukranian immigrants and succeeded in the US. As Melania was born in Slovenia, that could even have extra symbolism.
โIn just two decades, Winston became one of the most famous jewelers in the world due to his exceptional skill in crafting fine jewelry, even being mentioned by Marilyn Monroe in the song โDiamonds Are a Girlโs Best Friend,โ the X user concluded in the viral threat.
โAt the end of this analysis of the details, we can, with a bit of imaginationโas fashion often invites us to doโsee that this elegance pays homage to tradition, the American Dream, and prosperity. The new golden age has just begun.โ
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