Melania Trump put her fashion credentials on display as she joined President Donald Trump for the White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The 56-year-old First Lady wore a striking monochrome look while welcoming Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday evening.
For the black-tie occasion, Melania once again chose to forgo a traditional evening gown.
Instead, she selected a $2,300 Saint Laurent button-up blouse featuring oversized bow detailing around the neckline.
She teamed the blouse with $1,945 embossed high-waisted trousers and a $1,345 silk cummerbund, both from Dolce and Gabbana.
Her honey-colored hair was swept back from her face, while black pointed-toe Christian Louboutin heels and diamond stud earrings completed the ensemble.
Melania’s preference for wearing trousers to high-profile events has previously attracted intense scrutiny.
However, San Diego-based personal stylist and image consultant Cynthia Kennedy previously told Our News Outlet that the First Lady’s wardrobe choices convey a sense of independence and rebellion.
Melania Trump showcased her fashion credentials while accompanying President Donald Trump to the state dinner for Xi Jinping.
“She’s not doing what people expect. She’s not wearing safe, dull, traditional First Lady fashion,” Kennedy told Our News Outlet in April.
“She’s wearing what SHE wants, from her favorite designers – mostly European luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana – and she’s making it clear that this job is something she’s doing on her own terms,” Kennedy added.
“What she’s doing may not necessarily be modern, but it is strategic.
“She’s showing that she’s on a completely different playing field and follows her own rules. She’s not interested in dressing for any role,” Kennedy said.
The Trumps hosted the Chinese delegation in the East Room, where both presidents delivered remarks during the state dinner.
Senior Cabinet officials and American business leaders were among the guests, including executives from Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla and other major companies.
The lavish black-tie gathering was among the administration’s most star-studded events, creating a glamorous setting for easing long-standing geopolitical tensions with the Asian superpower.
Behind closed doors in the East Room, Melania’s office said it had personally overseen the evening’s elaborate arrangements. The space was transformed with red linens, Reagan-era vermeil and overflowing urns of crimson dahlias, reflecting an aesthetic the First Lady said “draws on the color red’s longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history.”
The 56-year-old wore a dramatic monochrome ensemble to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday evening.
Xi arrived at Trump’s presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, for a welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening.
During the dinner, guests watched several performances, with military musicians and inauguration tenor Christopher Macchio providing a grand musical backdrop.
Inside the dining room, guests raised glasses of Schramsberg ‘Blanc De Noirs’ for a symbolic toast, reviving the historic 1972 ‘Toast to Peace’ between Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in China.
White House chefs fused classic American ingredients with subtle Asian flavors across a lavish multi-course menu.
Xi arrived at Trump’s presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, for a welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening.
Trump personally greeted Xi at the airport ceremony despite the Chinese president not welcoming the US president at the airport during his trip to Beijing.
‘He decided to do it because they have a great relationship,’ First Lady Melania Trump said previously, ‘and we need to welcome them with the most respect.’
Earlier today, the Trumps welcomed Xi and his wife Madame Peng to the White House with an arrival ceremony on the State Floor before a military review in the Rose Garden and subsequent bilateral meetings.
But tonight’s state dinner is not the final event of the visit.
On Friday, the Trumps will host the first couple of China for tea at the White House before doing a tour of the National Archives, where they will view key US founding documents.
Xi and Madame Peng will then depart from Joint Base Andrews.
