For the state dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Melania opted for a bubblegum pink gown, also by Herrera.
Polished, weather-appropriate and ladylike — that’s the best description of both Melania and Ivanka Trump’s looks on Day 2 of their trip to India. While Melania cut a striking figure in an embroidered-with-lotuses midi-length day dress from American design house Carolina Herrera (the label she’s endorsed on several occasions in the past) and wore it with a red sash around her waist, Ivanka looked regal in an Anita Dongre sherwani made out of handwoven silk from Murshidabad, West Bengal. The First Lady completed her look with white pumps; Ivanka’s Manolo Blahnik kitten heels added a chic finish to her structured attire. President Donald Trump stuck to his formal two-piece suit, which he offset with a red tie that matched Melania’s belt.
The embroidered lotus flowers on Melania’s dress can be traced back to Carolina Herrera’s Venezuelan roots. The lotus is India’s national flower (and the election symbol of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party). The Carolina Herrera dress cost 1,241 pounds (over ~1 lakh).
For the state dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Melania opted for a bubblegum pink gown, also by Herrera. The column-like outfit had a fluid silhouette, relaxed cut sleeves and a knee-high slit ; she accessorised it with chandelier earrings by Amrapali, stilettos and a messy chignon.
Perhaps it was her way of giving a tribute to the sari, said Indian designers. The bow detail on the neck brought to mind the sari pallu. As designer Shruti Sancheti put it: “FLOTUS has tried to interpret to sari in her own unique way. It looks like a cross between an Arabic silhouette and the Indian sari. She’s put in a lot of thought into this look and clearly, her styling team has done a good deal of research in India’s sartorial history and we should applaud her effort.”
The colour itself may have been a homage to India. After all, as iconic Vogue Editor Diana Vreeland once noted, “Pink is the navy blue of India”.
A section of style arbiters vouch that FLOTUS stayed true to her personal style and not completely Indianised herself. “The fabric of Melania’s dress looks breathable and I think the look is occasion-appropriate. She’s being respectful of Indian sensibilities without compromising on comfort,” said designer Payal Singhal about the day dress.
However, it was Ivanka’s tailored-to-thrill avatar in the morning which won applause from designers and stylists across the board. On Ivanka’s sherwani which costs ~82,400, designer Dongre said: “It is timeless, and such a classic. We created this style 20 years ago and it’s amazing to see how beautifully relevant it is even today. A powerful, standout silhouette, a sherwani carries the same charisma in absolutely any colour…”
Prasanta Patnaik