Donald and Melania Trump at an inaugural ball. (Getty)
Melania Trump caused jaws to drop throughout Inauguration Day by starting the festivities off in a robin’s egg blue dress and capping them off with a sleek white ball gown.
The gown that Melania wore to the inaugural balls was signature Melania: Elegant but simple, monochrome, and with an interesting neckline.
It’s no surprise that some are comparing Melania to Jackie Kennedy Onassis, whose style was also marked by such classically clean lines.
By the end of the evening, it was the white inaugural dress that had everyone talking.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Designer Herve Pierre Made the Dress
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According to CNN, the white ball gown was the work of a designer named Herve Pierre, who is the former creative designer for famed designer Carolina Herrera.
Pierre told Women’s Wear Daily that he has dressed all of the First Ladies since Hillary Clinton while working for Herrera, adding, “So I feel lucky and honored to dress Melania Trump, but this time under my name.”
Because he worked previously under another designer, Pierre himself was not a household name. Until the Inauguration, at any rate.
Herrera designed the princess looking ball gown worn by the president’s daughter, Ivanka, to the inaugural balls. Pierre is originally from France, and only recently left Herrera’s employ, reported Harper’s Bazaar.
2. Melania Helped Design the Dress Herself
The Trumps dance. (Getty)
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Pierre says Melania helped design the dress herself.
The entertainment news site added that Pierre has been dressing Melania for a long time, and, although he is not a well-known name publicly, he is a fashion veteran.
3. The Material Was Vanilla Crepe With a Red Ribbon
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According to Women’s Wear Daily, the dress was fashioned out of vanilla crepe.
“The gown, in six-ply vanilla crepe, is cut off the shoulder with a full-length gazar arc opening into a deep side slit. A red silk faille ribbon fastens the waist,” the site reports.
The Chicago Sun-Times described the dress this way, “Highlighted by a gentle swirl of ruffles at the bodice and a thin red ribbon at the waist, the dress was further accented by a plunging slit along the left side.”
4. The Designer Said Melania Has a ‘Strong Personal Style’ & Doesn’t Plan to Change
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Melania Trump, 46, is a former fashion model, so it’s no surprise that she’s developed her own personal style and enjoys showcasing it.
According to USA Today, Pierre said Melania doesn’t plan to “change it because of her new function. So it was fun to respect her very tailored sense of fashion and to translate it in a gown. The lines are sharp, the design has no fuss and reflects Mrs. Trump’s vision of fashion and the way she feels in a gown.”
5. The Blue Coat & Dress Ensemble Was the Work of Ralph Lauren
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The First Lady chose only American designers throughout the Inauguration, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Melania’s blue dress, which she wore to her husband’s oath of office, was made by the iconic American designer, Ralph Lauren.
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The black military-inspired coat and dress she wore to the Lincoln Memorial was made by a designer from New York named Norisol Ferrari.
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The designer of the sleek gold gown that Melania wore to an Inauguration Eve dinner? Reem Acra, another American fashion designer. Acra was born in Lebanon but is from New York.