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Prior to allegations that Melania Trump plagiarized Michelle Obama’s address to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, most of of the online attention was directed toward her dress.
The wife of presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump strutted onto center stage at the Republican National Convention last night in a form-fitting, off-white cotton dress from designer Roksanda Ilincic. The Margot dress, which Trump picked out herself according to WWD, quickly sold out on Net-A-Porter’s website where it was selling for $2,190.
Net-A-Porter didn’t immediately return a request for comment. Trump’s only edit to the dress were to the sleeves, choosing to add chiffon poufs.
Interestingly, a cheaper version of the dress in pink has also sold out.
High-profile celebrities have chosen to wear Ilincic’s dresses in the past, including Emma Stone, Olivia Wilde, and even Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. Trump’s story is similar to the designer’s in that Illincic was born in Serbia, a country formerly part of Yugoslavia, along with Slovenia, where Trump was born in.
Online, there were 375,000 tweets about her speech per Amobee Brand Intelligence, but much of the conversation focused on the plagiarism allegations. But those tweets focused on her dress were positive:
I oppose everything Melania Trump stands for but I will not hear a SYLLABLE against that dress. #RNCinCle
— Tara Ariano (@TaraAriano) July 19, 2016
Drop dead RT @lisawexler Love Melania’s dress. @Jillzarin @realDonaldTrump @TwitterFashion pic.twitter.com/A02sxXWnZ8
— Jill Zarin (@Jillzarin) July 19, 2016
I love the white dress. love it. good choice, Melania.
— Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade) July 19, 2016
Melania’s dress!!!!!
— Mia Chamberlain (@miafaithhhh) July 19, 2016
The dress won over fashion critics, with The New York Times labeling the white as a “political baptism.” Vanessa Friedman added: “Plus, of course, when you are insisting on the purity of your spouse’s motives, it underscores the message.”
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