“The Fashion Industry Is Not Very Welcoming”: Designers Remain Divided Over Dressing Melania Trump
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
As Donald Trump prepares for his second term, the question arises: What will Melania Trump wear for the inauguration and beyond? The former First Lady, known for her elegant style, has long divided opinions within the fashion industry.
Dressing the First Lady is typically a prestigious opportunity for designers, often leading to significant exposure. However, Melania Trump has not enjoyed the same embrace from the fashion world. Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) reached out to 16 designers, including Michael Kors, Prabal Gurung, and Sergio Hudson, to gauge their interest in dressing her but received no responses.
Many designers have previously distanced themselves from Melania, including Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, Zac Posen, and Tom Ford, who publicly stated they wouldn’t design for her during Donald Trump’s first term, the Irish Star reported.
Melania’s style often leans toward European designers. On Election Day 2024, she wore a Dior polka-dot shirtdress to vote in Palm Beach and a gray Dior suit for her husband’s victory speech. She has previously made headlines with iconic looks, such as her custom Ralph Lauren pale blue cashmere dress and gloves at the 2017 inauguration, and the white Hervé Pierre gown with a thigh-high slit at the inaugural ball.
Hervé Pierre, who became Melania’s stylist during her first tenure as First Lady, has shed light on the challenges of dressing her. In an interview with WWD, Pierre acknowledged the hostility within the fashion industry toward Melania Trump. “The fashion industry is not very welcoming [of Trump]. That’s no secret,” he said.
Pierre shared a personal experience of being denied service in a high-end designer store on Madison Avenue while shopping for Melania. “I was told bluntly, ‘You are not welcome here.’ I understand criticizing Mrs. Trump, but to say that to someone shopping full-price is something I never expected,” he recalled, choosing not to name the store to avoid giving them publicity.
Despite the cold reception from many American designers, Pierre noted that European designers were more open-minded, viewing the opportunity to dress Melania as a business move due to the press coverage she garners.
As speculation builds around her potential wardrobe for the 2025 inauguration, one thing is clear: Melania Trump remains a polarizing figure in both politics and fashion, navigating an industry that continues to grapple with its stance on her public image.
