Melania Trump's stylist rips liberal snob designers refusing to dress her for inauguration... and once even barred the first lady from a certain Madison Avenue boutique
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With the inauguration of Donald Trump just days away, all eyes are on a potentially raucous new chapter in the White House – and what the new administration might mean for the United States and the world. Less consequential, perhaps, but no less invested in what Trump 2.0 will mean, is the coterie of domestic and international dress designers who know that, irrespective of whether they like or loathe Melania, she will be an influential force in fashion for the next four years.
![[Melania is a former industry insider; she once graced the cover of US Vogue swathed in a $100,000 Christian Dior haute couture gown.]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/18/16/94241251-14291511-Melania_is_a_former_industry_insider_she_once_graced_the_cover_o-a-6_1737217196901.jpg)
Inauguration Day might tell us a good deal about what the future holds. An occasion that demands a bespoke, one-of-a-kind ensemble could surely prove a challenge for a woman who, if my sources can be believed, is like most of us, still buying off the rack.
![[Anna Wintour, longstanding editor-in-chief, famously denied her a repeat appearance in Vogue, despite having accorded the honor of a cover portrait to every other first lady. (Wintour is pictured with Melania and Donald in 2005).]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/18/14/94241259-14291511-image-a-2_1737211714634.jpg)
Although Melania is a former industry insider – she once graced the cover of US Vogue swathed in a $100,000 Christian Dior haute couture gown – she has, relatively speaking, been shunned since her rise to political power, at least by the fashion world.
![[Certainly, few designers, all of whom wish to remain on good terms with the most powerful voice in the fashion world, will admit to working with Melania. (Wintour is pictured with Biden in January 2025).]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/18/15/94241621-14291511-image-a-9_1737213296393.jpg)
Anna Wintour, longstanding editor-in-chief, famously denied her a repeat appearance in Vogue, despite having accorded the honor of a cover portrait to every other first lady – and even to Vice President Kamala Harris in the lead-up to November's election.
![[In 2017, Ralph Lauren came to Melania's rescue for the first requirement. The legendary American designer created a powder-blue double-face cashmere dress and coat.]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/18/16/94241255-14291511-In_2017_Ralph_Lauren_came_to_Melania_s_rescue_for_the_first_requ-a-4_1737217196589.jpg)
Is Wintour's disapproval so decisively influential? Certainly, few designers, all of whom wish to remain on good terms with the most powerful voice in the fashion world, will admit to working with Melania. When Stefano Gabbana broke ranks and took to Instagram to thank the first lady for wearing one of the brand's signature black tuxedo jackets for her official White House portrait in 2017, branding her proudly as #DGWoman, the endorsement sparked an immediate social media backlash. There were calls to boycott the brand.
![[For her appearance at Jimmy Carter's funeral on January 9 (pictured), she delved deep into the archives and selected pieces purchased from a 2019 Valentino collection.]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/18/16/94242855-14291511-image-m-10_1737217291876.jpg)
