fashion diplomacy
When Melania Trump visited the Vatican alongside her husband and stepdaughter Ivanka Trump on Tuesday, she wore a black veil and dress to follow Vatican tradition for formal visits. While in Brussels on Thursday, Melania sported a beige skirt suit by Belgian fashion house Maison Ullens. She has also been making her own diplomatic choices, including opting not to wear a headscarf during her visit to Saudi Arabia last Saturday. She chose to end this trip, though, with a nod to Gabbana, an iconic Italian fashion house.
![picture courtesy from pixabay](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/24%20may%20edit%201_0.jpg?itok=ID1vA-Ce)
This week’s PD News focused on President Trump’s trip overseas, from the importance of Saudi Arabia to Melania Trump’s international debut as First Lady.
Pakistan and Indonesia have been working closely to promote cultural as well as economic ties. After successfully launching ‘food diplomacy’, now both the countries will arrange ‘Islamic Fashion Show’ soon.
Head of states might be calling the shots when it comes to politics, however, it’s the first ladies who win the world over with grace and style. As China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan’s impeccable looks stole the spotlight at the much anticipated Xi-Trump summit this week, we take a look at some of the most stylish stateswomen of our times.
The Pakistani ambassador to Germany, His Excellency Jauhar Saleem and his wife Zara Jauhar were accompanied by over forty other Foreign Service officials at the event, which aimed to propel Pakistani fashion and art onto the global scale. #BrandPAKISTAN was designed to stimulate interaction and synergies between local fashion and jewellery designers, musicians and artists and the international audience.
General George Brandis and a senior DFAT official have defended Julie Bishop’s #fashiondiplomacy as a “huge asset” to Australia. [...] Senator Brandis told the hearing it was “integral” to the Foreign Minister’s role to promote Australian interests and businesses in response to questions from Labor senator Kimberley Kitching. “The fashion industry in Australia, I’m told, contributes $12 billion to the economy every year and employs 220,000 people,” Senator Brandis said.
Kate Middleton joined the rest of the royal family at Buckingham Palace to celebrate Britain’s cultural ties with India. The Duchess of Cambridge literally shined at the reception in a metallic, mid-length dress by Erdem, pairing it with sparkling Oscar de la Renta heels. In honor of the occasion, she wore earrings by Indian designer Anita Dongre, whose pieces she also wore while playing cricket during her visit to India.
Diana developed a “very glamorous regal style” for overseas trips, for example, that paid homage to the host nation. She wore a dress emblazoned with gold falcons, an emblem of Saudi Arabia, during a trip to that country. This fashion diplomacy clearly reverberates in the legacies of Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama, for example, who often wear clothing that salutes to their guests' home countries.