Melania Trump kicked off Inauguration Day with an outfit that has all the hallmarks of her favoured first lady style: sharply cut, with spiked heels and a dramatic flourish via the headgear. It is simultaneously serious and chic.
The designer chosen by the 54-year-old first lady for the inauguration is the subject of fascination – and, again, an opportunity to transmit a message. That the former model chose New York designer Adam Lippes and a coordinating hat by Eric Javits, was a marked shift of gear.
She may have worn the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren to her husband’s last inauguration, but much more frequently turns to the big European houses. Plus, unlike Lauren, neither Lippes nor Javits are such household, starry names.
In a statement, Lippes said the look had been hand-stitched in New York “by some of America’s finest craftsmen.” Fittingly, Lippes recently opened a new boutique in Palm Beach, close to the Trump’s home, Mar-a-Lago, or the “southern White House”.
Very much on-brand is the price tag: Melania Trump is known for her extravagant tastes – many of her outfits while previously first lady had price tags running well into the thousands – and Lippes’ dresses, for example, go from £1,000 up to over £7,500.
It also speaks to her love of hats. The brim is wide enough and the contrast between the cream ribbon and navy hat big enough that it draws the eyes upwards – even if it obscures the eyes of the wearer.
There was a loadedness to its incongruity. As celebrity stylist and fashion expert Lauren Rothman points out, “a boater is traditionally a summer hat. It’s traditionally worn by, you know, in Venice, right?” Not in a freezing cold DC.
“This was just such a spectacular use of signalling and blending Palm Beach and DC with international global fashion aesthetic, while understanding the traditional and political power that is also necessary for your look to communicate,” she said.