Melania Trump’s new White House portrait has renewed her feud with fashion magazine, Vogue. In the latest official image, Melania is seen wearing a finely tailored Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket and suit pants with a crisp and partly unbuttoned white shirt.
Shot by Belgian photographer Regine Mahaux, the image was printed in black-and-white. Standing over a reflective desk in a formal suit, the 54-year-old First Lady gave major Boss Lady vibes. However, that’s not how Vogue interpreted the image.
Soon after the White House unveiled Melania’s portrait, Vogue’s fashion writer Hannah Jackson wrote a bold piece criticizing it. She said that Donald Trump‘s wife “looked more like she was guest starring on an episode of The Apprentice than assuming the role of first lady of the United States.”
Melania Trump opted for a tuxedo for her black-and-white boardroom pastiche. https://t.co/4Gr8n5LvN2
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) January 28, 2025
Vogue disapproved of Melania’s choice of outfit for the portrait and wrote that she “looked more like a freelance magician than a public servant.”
“It’s perhaps unsurprising that a woman who lived in a gold-encrusted penthouse, whose fame is so intertwined with a reality television empire, would refuse to abandon theatrics —even when faced with 248 years of tradition,” the magazine ruthlessly wrote in its digital release.
Vogue’s apparent enmity with Melania Trump isn’t new. Infact, it did her dirty during her previous tenure as first lady. The magazine has a tradition of giving the current First Lady of the United States a cover edition but made an exception with Melania.
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After the shocking snub, some speculated political bias on Vogue’s part although the magazine has previously featured Laura Bush, Barbara Bush and Nancy Reagan.
When Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue was questioned about the snub, she didn’t deny the magazine’s political stance.
During an exclusive chat with CNN, Wintour said, “I believe and I think that those of us that work at Conde Nast believe that you have to stand up for what you believe in and you have to take a point of view.”
On the mention of former First Ladies that Vogue featured on the cover, she said, “Obviously these are women that we feel are icons and inspiring to women from a global perspective.”
However, without explicitly naming the Trumps, she went on to say, “I don’t think it’s a moment not to take a stand. I think you can’t be everything to everybody.”
Melania Trump was, however, barely bothered about Vogue’s political stand. As per USA Today, her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said, “To be on the cover of Vogue doesn’t define Mrs. Trump, she’s been there, done that long before she was First Lady. Her role as First Lady of the United States and all that she does is much more important than some superficial photo shoot and cover.”
Further taking a jibe at the magazine and its editor, she said, “This just further demonstrates how biased the fashion magazine industry is, and shows how insecure and small-minded Anna Wintour really is. Unfortunately, Mrs. Trump is used to this kind of divisive behavior.”
Later when Melania sat down with Fox News for an interview, she said, “I have much more important things to do and I did in the White House than being on the cover of Vogue.”
Melania Trump was unbothered by Vogue then and she remains unbothered now. Vogue’s harsh comments for the First Lady are now also being criticized by netizens online. But this entire saga has once again reminded us that Melania, who was on Vogue’s cover long before she became the first lady, might not ever collaborate with the magazine in the future.
