First Lady Melania Trump plans her fashion choices for key public events with the help of stylist and designer Hervé Pierre. It was he who asked Dolce & Gabbana to design a bespoke dress for Melania to wear on her state visit to meet with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and he was responsible for designing the beautiful hat she wore. Sharing a sketch on Instagram, he wrote: "Here is the sketch of the hat I designed for our First Lady for her State visit in England to meet Her Majesty the Queen." He also revealed the trim was midnight blue to match with FLOTUS's dress. Many people assumed it was a black trim.
In an old interview with Vogue, he said: "My role is to dress the First Lady and advise her – I’m not a stylist; I am an advisor, and she is adamant about that. Who, as a free woman, is going to be told what to wear? It’s a conversation, a collaboration. Without intellectualising, my advice is respectful and it makes sense."
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On seeing Melania's stunning hat, we couldn't help but think of Princess Diana's love of statement headgear - in fact, she once wore a very similar design herself. From bow-detailed creations to pillbox hats to ornate fascinators, she wowed with every outing in her flamboyant hats. The stylish royal even had her own milliner in the form of London-based John Boyd.
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"Princess Diana frequently visited his shop but preferred to be in his messy workroom where the milliners were working on the hats," said John Boyd's protege Sarah Marshall, who took over the business three years ago. "He was always very discreet about his royal clientele, who rewarded him with their loyalty."
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As Melania prepares to arrive in style for the state banquet hosted by the British royal family, Hervé was no doubt her first port of call with her dress. In a past interview with WWD, Pierre spoke about the pressure of such an occasion: "You have to be perfect. Even if I didn’t design the pieces, I wanted her to be immaculate. To represent the U.S. is a big honour and I wanted her to look her best."
Talking about what Melania is really like, he said: "She is lovely. Listen I know a lot of people don’t know her, but I’m lucky to know her a little bit."
His worst disaster? "I put her in stripes, and people said it looked like she was in prison, it was a disaster!"