The focus on Melania Trump at last night's Republican National Convention, was, unflatteringly, on the speech she's accused of plagiarizing from Michelle Obama (which Donald Trump's campaign team is vehemently denying). But there was also a lot more to discuss fashion-wise than at your average presidential-race event: such as Melania's dress.
She actually bought her own dress from Net-A-Porter, according to WWD. The frock in question is a $2,190 white cotton-silk design by Roksanda Ilincic, the U.K.-based Serbian designer of Roksanda. The Net-A-Porter exclusive piece is actually billed as "a beautiful option for the modern bride" on the luxury e-comm's site.
Whether RNC viewers were digging the design for political press junkets or their big day, the dress was quite a hit: It sold out in just one hour, per Glamour. A similar version of the bell-sleeved number, in crepe, was available in black on Farfetch, the publication pointed out, but that's already out of stock, too (and it looks like it's sold out already on Browns, as well). This hot-pink iteration is sold out in some sizes and "coming soon" in others on Matches Fashion. However, the black version is still available from Dubai-based retailer Boutique 1 for $1,590.
Did the potential first lady purchase a look straight off the (virtual) rack because there weren't any designers keen on dressing her? That's unclear, but Melania apparently "isn’t working with any designers" on custom pieces for campaign events, a spokesperson from Trump's camp told WWD.
A presidential candidate's spouse buying her own getup for such a high-profile campaign event is a surprise. (Akin to when actresses purchase their own red carpet gowns, though we're seeing more and more of that, including Amy Schumer and Bryce Dallas Howard recently.) What's equally, if not more, surprising than the fact that Melania was decked out in an RTW piece and not a custom design? The fact that a possible FLOTUS chose to wear a non-American designer's look.
At the past two RNCs, for example, potential first ladies have both worn Oscar de la Renta: Ann Romney's red dress in 2012, which she apparently successfully fought her husband's campaign team to be able to wear for the occasion, and Cindy McCain also wore a mustard-hued de la Renta design for the 2008 Convention. Our curent FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, opted for a pink Tracy Reese dress at the 2012 DNC and a teal Maria Pinto look for the event back in 2008. (While the first lady's fandom has certainly helped the former's business, it wasn't enough for Pinto to ward off rocky times, from which she has since resurfaced.)
So, what do you think of Melania's dress — both its non-American design pedigree, and the fact that she bought it the same exact way we would? (Well, if we had an extra $2K lying around, that is.) Let us know in the comments below.
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