As the second presidential term of Donald Trump begins, so does another era of Melania Trump style-watching. For her husband’s second inauguration, Melania donned a look from two American designers: a dark navy coat and skirt ensemble designed by Adam Lippes, accessorized with a dramatic wide-brimmed hat by Eric Javits.
“The tradition of the presidential inauguration embodies the beauty of American democracy and today we had the honor to dress our first lady, Mrs. Melania Trump,” Lippes told Vogue 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.”
The former model has a history of eye-catching fashion choices. Perhaps the most notorious of her many sartorial scandals was the jacket emblazoned with “I really don’t care. Do u?” worn to visit detention centers holding immigrant children.
Many designers and notable names in fashion have spoken out against the Trumps throughout the years, and have publicly said that they will not accommodate requests from the couple’s teams to dress them for appearances. During the first Trump presidency, the first lady tended to wear designs from European labels.
In 2017, for Donald’s first inauguration, Melania opted for a quintessential American designer, wearing a pale blue Ralph Lauren ensemble. She was swathed in monochromatic cashmere, wearing a cocoon jacket over a knee-length sheath dress, with stiletto heels and suede gloves in the same shade to match. Hillary Clinton, who lost the election to Trump, also wore Ralph Lauren to that inauguration, opting for an all-white pantsuit and coat, donning the signature color of the women’s suffrage movement once again to watch her competitor sworn into office.
