Melania Trump showcased her distinctive fashion sense as she accompanied her husband, President Donald Trump, to the state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The 56-year-old First Lady welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday evening in a striking monochrome look.
Once again, Melania chose not to wear a traditional gown for the black-tie event.
Instead, she wore a $2,300 button-up blouse by Saint Laurent, featuring an oversized bow at the neckline.
She teamed the blouse with $1,945 embossed high-waisted trousers and a $1,345 silk cummerbund, both from Dolce & 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 at major public events has previously attracted considerable scrutiny.
However, San Diego-based personal stylist and image consultant Cynthia Kennedy previously told the Daily Mail that the First Lady’s clothing choices project an image of someone who is “independent” and “rebellious.”
Melania Trump made a stylish statement 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 the Daily Mail 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 were scheduled to deliver remarks during the state dinner.
Senior Cabinet officials and American business leaders also attended, including executives from Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla and other major companies.
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The lavish black-tie gathering was expected to be among the administration’s most high-profile evenings, creating a glamorous setting for easing longstanding geopolitical tensions with China.
Melania’s office said it personally coordinated the evening’s elaborate decor in the East Room, transforming it with red linens, Reagan-era vermeil and overflowing urns of crimson dahlias. The First Lady said the design “draws on the color red’s longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history.”
The 56-year-old welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan to the White House in Washington, DC, wearing an eye-catching monochrome ensemble.
Xi arrived at Trump’s presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, for a welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening.
The dinner also featured several performances, with military musicians and inauguration tenor Christopher Macchio providing a grand musical backdrop as the leaders and their guests dined.
Inside the dining room, guests are raising glasses of Schramsberg ‘Blanc De Noir’ 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.