Which designers have agreed to dress Melania Trump for the inauguration?

19 January 2017
By Fashion Quarterly

Melania Trump

‘Who’ Melania Trump will wear for Friday’s presidential inauguration still remains a mystery, but we are now hearing rumours of not one, but two designers who might have the job.

Despite the First Lady-to-be being publicly dismissed by many fashion designers (including Christian Siriano, Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford, who all refuse to dress the former model), there are two VERY big names now in the mix: Ralph Lauren and Karl Lagerfeld.

The inauguration is a big deal, and Melania will need two outfits: one for during the day, when her husband, Donald Trump, will take the Oath of Office on live television; and one for the evening’s inauguration ball.

Ralph Lauren would be the obvious choice for Melania, who turned to the all-American label several times during Trump’s presidential campaign, wearing off-the-rack pieces on numerous occasions. Mr Lauren himself was a vocal supporter of Trump’s opponent Hilary Clinton, who he dressed three times during the campaign.

Meanwhile, Karl Lagerfeld’s name has also been thrown into the ring today by WWD, but it is unclear which brand within his remit (Chanel, Fendi or his namesake label) Melania would be dressed by.

Historically, the designer chosen by the FLOTUS to wear during the swearing-in ceremony is a huge honour, as they are guaranteed worldwide publicity. For a relatively unknown designer (such as Isabel Toledo, who Michelle Obama turned to for husband Barack’s swearing in ceremony in 2009) it can even put them on the map.

Whatever happens, all we know is we will for sure be tuning in to see Melania’s First Lady debut.

Photo: Getty Images

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