by Designer Quote: The White House pulled out all the stops for a state dinner Wednesday night in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden welcomed a crowd that included Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, actor Robert De Niro, Bill and Hillary Clinton, JPMorgan Chase chief executive officer Jamie Dimon, chairman Federal Reserve Jerome Powell, head of Planned Parenthood. Cecille Richards and Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.
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State dinners are more about diplomacy than anything culinary, and Wednesday’s event was no exception. Guests were seated for dinner among purple, pink and blue hydrangeas – native to both countries – and glass and silk butterflies. As the first lady explained in Tuesday’s pre-dinner preview to the media, the decoration was meant to be a reminder of how the US and Japan “harness the winds of change” – together – as partners in peace and prosperity .
While the men kept things traditional with tuxedos, many of the high-profile women donned designer labels. FLOTUS wore a fall 2024 sapphire ombré embroidered crystal Art Nouveau gown from Oscar de la Renta that she purchased. Her eldest granddaughter Naomi took a different route – borrowing a dress from the successful label Bernadette.
The late designer Oscar de la Renta had a long track record of dressing first ladies over the years, and the successors to his namesake company – Laura Kim and Fernando Sanchez – have continued that tradition. It is significant that FLOTUS wore the American brand for such an amazing tour for the design company with its headquarters and store in New York City. The first lady previously met Kim and Garcia, who immigrated to the United States and are both American citizens.
Biden bought the dress that was made to a tee with her measurements. Unlike during the Obama administration, when designers often hoped, but did not know for sure, whether their creations for Michelle Obama would be worn for important appearances until the first couple went out, their de la Renta’s team knew in advance that the final cut was for Wednesday’s state dinner.
Jill Biden also chose Oscar de la Renta for the first state dinner she and the President hosted in 2022 for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. Oscar de la Renta has grown its intergenerational appeal in recent years, thanks in part to other VIP clients like Ariana Grande.
FLOTUS wasn’t the only member of the family to make an informed fashion choice. One of her granddaughters, Naomi, turned up in a floral cherry-print dress from Belgian label Bernadette. Fashion editors and insiders alike are raving about the Antwerp-based company, which was started by stylish mother-and-daughter duo Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter. Naomi’s dress was chosen for her by Geyters and was “lent to her specifically for this event,” a company spokesperson said.
Shoppers can still find the $960 Minnie Floral Cape Dress worn by the First Daughter since Moda Operandi still has it in stock. However, inventory for the blush-colored dress has already dwindled in the hours following a photo of Biden wearing the dress at the state dinner.
In the fall of 2022, Naomi Biden turned the spotlight on Ralph Lauren, wearing a custom Ralph Lauren Collection gown made of Chantilly lace with hand-applied organza petals along the bodice and cascading into the skirt for her South Lawn wedding ceremony at the White. House. That evening she lightened up her look with a strapless Reem Acra ivory silk Mikado dress for the White House reception and cake cutting ceremony. Her artist father Hunter was not at the White House for Wednesday night.
Vice President Kamala Harris upped the ante on Wednesday by wearing a shimmery Valentino ensemble (her aide told the Times reporter), and she and husband Doug Emhoff took the media route, which they don’t usually do. .
A Look at Naomi Biden’s Style Over the Years
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At a state dinner Wednesday night, First Lady Ashley Biden told reporters she was wearing Reem, according to a White House pool report. All in all, some of the high-powered guests were short on words, bombarded with questions from the press. Amazon’s Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez (who can’t be missed in a strapless, more intense red dress) did not engage with reporters. Sanchez is said to have chosen a frock from UAE-based eveningwear resource Rasario. Company executives did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and founder Rasida Lakoba did not respond to DM seeking comment Thursday morning.
Apple’s Cook ignored a question about any plans to donate to the Biden campaign. One of Biden’s more ardent public supporters, multi-Oscar winner De Niro sent in his girlfriend Tiffany Chen. When asked how he felt about the 2024 election, De Niro replied, “What do you think?” and keep moving, according to the pool report.
The Clintons were happy to be back in their former residence. When asked by a reporter how he was back, Bill Clinton offered “Great, especially for this.” After a reporter pointed out a portrait of Hillary Clinton hanging nearby, the Clintons smiled when they saw it, according to the report at the time.
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