There were cherry blossoms. There were silk and glass butterflies. There were toasts. There was a California bagel-inspired main course and a performance by Paul Simon. But before that, there was the photo shoot and the fashion.
On Wednesday night, as the Bidens hosted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and his wife, Yuko Kishida, at the fifth state dinner of the Biden administration, Jill Biden, wearing an Oscar de la Renta evening dress, greeted her guests of honor with her husband on the North Portico.
Designed by Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, the dress flowed in a watery fade from sapphire blue to light silver and was covered in hand-embroidered geometric floral beads.
Why did it matter? It wasn’t as symbolically obvious as the cherry blossom-print dress worn by Naomi Biden or Hillary Clinton’s heavy silk caftan, but by opting for de la Renta, the first lady was not simply supporting an American company that represents the melting pot myth. country. She was connecting with a long-standing relationship: Oscar de la Renta has dressed almost every first lady since Jackie Kennedy; Dr. Biden first used the label at her inaugural state dinner in 2022.
On a night meant to underscore another powerful relationship, that of the United States and Japan, and reaffirm the strength of that mutual commitment through a political scene, the label was an apt choice.
And he suggested that Dr. Biden, who has not always seemed interested in the game of fashion diplomacy, is preparing with every means at her disposal to help amplify her husband’s message, not only as president but as Democratic presidential candidate faced with his situation. facing an opponent who revels in the reality TV nature of politics, even in costume.
The elections will play out partly in images, and the images are already beginning to tell a story, at least as far as the women involved are concerned.
In fact, the state dinner portrait was a striking image that surfaced just four days after another photo made headlines. In that photo, Melania Trump stood with her husband outside billionaire John Paulson’s Palm Beach home just before a Republican fundraiser on April 6.
While Mr. Trump wore his trademark billowy blue suit and tie, Mrs. Trump wore a pink Valentino jumpsuit covered in an exotic floral print — not quite royal purple, but the Palm Beach equivalent. Although she had been largely absent from the campaign trail before that night, as well as from Trump’s many court appearances, her dress was not that of a wallflower but that of someone preparing to take center stage. scenery.
“Dr. Biden and Mrs. Trump are two supporting actors in a television show that will air from now until November,” said Michael LaRosa of Ballard Partners, a bipartisan lobbying firm that has worked with the Trumps and former press secretary for Dr. Biden: “They have leading roles, but they bring very different styles, approaches and brands to the audience.”
Together, the two images served as a kind of preview or backdrop for what is to come, as Dr. Biden and Mrs. Trump play increasingly public roles in their husbands’ campaigns and every detail, including the What they wear matters. Vibrations can be a workhorse versus a show horse, but both are equally effective.
After all, as Katherine Jellison, a professor of American history at Ohio University, pointed out, clothing serves as a point of access to the character for the watching world, a point that is familiar or exciting, relatable or aspirational.
It is no coincidence, for example, that on the first day of the state visit to Japan, Dr. Biden greeted Mr. and Mrs. Kishida in a black Armani dress with a keyhole neckline that she had worn several times before. Getting back into clothes has been one of Dr. Biden’s signatures, part of the conversation around sustainability, which nods to her husband’s climate policies (not to mention the country’s economic realities). She has done so consistently throughout the administration. To do it again at such a moment of ritual display was to double down.
Nor is it a coincidence that, in the last month, Mrs. Trump has returned to the spotlight, appearing at strategic moments in the luxury brands that are synonymous with the financial success that her husband has made part of his selling point. , as if shrugging his shoulders at the civil penalties that have been imposed. Because she is seen so rarely, every time she appears, she makes an impact. And while this has been widely interpreted as a reluctance to participate, it is also possible that it is a calculated tactic.
On March 9, for example, dressed in a smart white pantsuit and a black bow shirt, she joined Trump at a meeting. dinner in honor of Viktor Orban at Mar-a-Lago. (“Pretty Woman” played when she entered). On March 19, she went with Trump to cast his vote in the Florida primary wearing a white Alexander McQueen shirt screen-printed with orchids, Christian Louboutin high heels, and a Chanel. bag. And on March 30 she appeared alongside her husband in a ruffled black dress by Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen to celebrate the 40th birthday of her lawyer, Alina Habba.
There is no doubt that for Dr. Biden and Mrs. Trump, this is just the beginning. On April 20, Mrs. Trump will be a star guest at a Log Cabin Republican fundraiser at (natch) Mar-a-Lago. A few weeks later, on May 1, the White House will do so, Dr. Biden said “cbs mornings,”host another state dinner, this time for educators, as part of the “Teacher of the Year” celebrations.
Both events may take place behind closed doors, but the period drama will be there for all to see.
