Opinion is not just divided; it is absolutely settled that Melania Trump’s shocking yellow column custom Carolina Herrera gown at last night’s State Banquet was a calamitous fashion faux pas.
Amid the splendor and sparkle of the more conventional evening attire worn by the Princess of Wales (clad in cascading satin and lace supplied by British wedding favorite Philip Paley), Melania’s bold monochromatic moment courtesy of Wes Gordon for the famed American label defied expectations for what is appropriate in the royal presence.
It also stopped us in our tracks, with most commentators deciding that surprise translated into disgust.
I confess to being part of that group initially – more than a little aghast at the brightness of the buttercream yellow and the remarkable contrast of its lilac silk belt.
In comparison to Kate’s high-collared evening gown showing barely an inch of flesh (save for her face and hands) and Queen Camilla swathed in matronly blue silk, Melania’s display of skin at Windsor Castle was more than eye-catching.
She seemed almost from another world, one which, at first glance, it is quite easy to condemn as out of place.
But look a little deeper – overcome the surprise of both the color and silhouette – and Melania has, in fact, proved her fashion prowess yet again, embracing a design that speaks to her own confidence as both a First Lady and a woman who has upon her the gaze of the entire world.
And she certainly seems to be acutely aware of that.
Melania seemed almost from another world, one which, at first glance, it is quite easy to condemn as out of place
In comparison to Kate’s high-collared evening gown showing barely an inch of flesh and Queen Camilla swathed in matronly blue silk, Melania’s display of skin at Windsor Castle was more than eye-catching
Arriving on the lawn of Windsor Castle in immaculately tailored Christian Dior haute couture (a final calling card no doubt from outgoing designer Maria Grazia Chiuri), one had to strain to catch a glimpse of Melania beneath the brim of her eggplant hat designed by Dior milliner Stephen Jones.
While Camilla and Kate’s hats framed their faces, Melania’s covered hers – finishing off a silhouette that radiated the self-assurance of a woman who feels no need to offer up either her image nor her body to the gaze of a hungry (and mostly critical) media.
Perhaps it was because she had been so contained, controlled and covered for the start of the historical visit that the radical reveal that evening became such a sensation.
Yet faced with what she must have known would be a parade of conventional court couture and panoply of royal jewelry, the astonishing simplicity of the custom creation from Carolina Herrera must have seemed the only option.
Jackie Kennedy must have certainly felt so when it came time to plan her attire to host the Shah of Iran and his empress, Farah, in 1962.
Aware that the empress would come bedecked in crystals and crinolines – not to mention a jewelry collection unrivaled in the Western World – Jackie’s only recourse was to resort to the clarity of modernity.
Opting, like Melania, for a two-tone monochromatic column dress, she placed a single diamond brooch in her chestnut bouffant. Standing next to an overly coiffed and bedecked Farah, the First Lady epitomized the freshness that later became the hallmark of Camelot.
Opting, like Melania, for a two-tone monochromatic column dress, Jackie placed a single diamond brooch in her chestnut bouffant. Standing next to an overly coiffed and bedecked Farah, the First Lady epitomized the freshness that later became the hallmark of Camelot
Arriving on the lawn of Windsor Castle in immaculately tailored Christian Dior haute couture (a final calling card no doubt from outgoing designer Maria Grazia Chiuri), one had to strain to catch a glimpse of Melania beneath the brim of her eggplant hat designed by Dior milliner Stephen Jones
While Camilla and Kate’s hats framed their faces, Melania’s covered hers – finishing off a silhouette that radiated the self-assurance of a woman who feels no need to offer up either her image nor her body to the gaze of a hungry (and mostly critical) media
Indeed, Melania, swapping Jackie’s brooch for a fabulous pair of emerald and diamond earrings (her only jewel for the night), co-opted this playbook.
By choosing colors that are not automatically seen as ones which pair well together, she created momentary visual chaos – carving out for herself a space amid the glamour.
While Camilla and Kate, like the furniture around them, fit in well with their surroundings, Melania was like a Rothko hung on the wall of a gilded age living room, standing out and apart from her surroundings.
She offered a contrast between the old and new, a reminder of the possibilities, sartorial and otherwise, of what might transpire when rulebooks are broken, expectations are challenged, and a woman dresses for herself rather than for the audience they are in front of.
