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.

Conflict and militancy may be first things that occur to many about Iraq, but a group of young fashion-conscious Kurds are hoping to help project a brighter, more optimistic image - and perhaps effect social change along the way.

Mrs. Obama’s dress choices were often labeled “sartorial diplomacy” and “democratic,” and they were that; she made something of an art out of pairing designers with countries during state dinners or trips, wearing, for example, Mr. Khan, an Indian-American designer, to the India state dinner, and Mr. Ford, an American designer then based in London, when she dined with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

As part of the fashion exchange, the designers experienced an intensive three-phased exchange program composed of workshops, lectures and master classes in both the Netherlands and in the Philippines. They also visited embroidery centers in Lumban, Quezon and Tagaytay, handpicked fabrics in Divisoria, and attended one of Europe’s most prestigious fashion events, the Amsterdam Fashion Week.

In early December Afghan fashion found a place in the Middle Eastern edition of Vogue magazine, lithe models posed in colorful, high-end gowns and accessories made by craftsmen from Afghanistan. The couture in Vogue’s pages was also featured in a United States-sponsored exhibition I visited here in Dubai focusing on Afghan exports, including carpets, fruits and nuts, and marble and precious stones. 

More and more, a country’s diplomacy focus has shifted to promoting its cultural aspects — food, fashion, songs and dances — abroad. These are offered as an important part of its cultural diplomacy, which is not only internally generated, but is more impactful.

So as not to miss any stitches in the fabric of international relations, leaders attach extra importance to what they wear during diplomatic talks, adhering to the unspoken rules of what is known as ‘fashion diplomacy'. [...] Would you be surprised, if I claimed that the dress the Queen was wearing during a State Banquet was more telling in terms of diplomacy than other political procedures? ​