Ivanka Trump’s appearance in a blue embroidered couture outfit during the welcome ceremony for President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last month has drawn attention to its designer and the growing international profile of Chinese bespoke fashion.
According to South China Morning Post, the outfit was designed by Guo Pei, one of China’s best-known couturiers, who also created the spectacular yellow embroidered cape with a long train and fur trim worn by pop star Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala.
Guo told the South China Morning Post that Trump’s outfit was not created specifically for the diplomatic occasion, but its design and colour were carefully considered. She said blue was chosen to convey calm and a shared aspiration for peace.
The outfit was originally intended for a trip to China that US President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter had expected to make with her father. Guo said she and Ivanka Trump discussed its design and colour at the beginning of the year.
Ultimately, Ivanka Trump did not make the journey to Beijing in May.
But she had a front-row seat at the White House welcome ceremony for Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on September 24 at the start of a state visit aimed at stabilising a relationship tested by trade, technology and national security disputes.
Guo said, “Green is often associated with peace, but I felt blue could convey a more natural sense of calm. I recommended blue, and Ivanka liked it too. She called the shade robin’s-egg blue.”
Guo said she believed the colour had a serene quality that could express a shared desire for world peace.
Fashion designer, said, “Bespoke clothing offers a level of fit and perfection that ready-to-wear simply cannot match.”
The jacket featured silver-thread embroidery in a scrolling vine pattern, which Guo said “symbolised cultural common ground” because similar motifs appear in both Eastern and Western artistic traditions.
Its wide, flared sleeves were designed to symbolise openness and acceptance, while the fitted inner dress was made longer than a normal day dress to convey the formality and respect befitting an occasion attended by national leaders, she said.
Chinese-inspired clothing featured prominently throughout Xi’s visit. Xi wore a black Mao suit, a style with folded collars popularised by revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, while senior Chinese officials also donned dark Chinese-style attire to the White House state dinner.
