This red carpet wasn’t about American fashion.
When Melania Trump took her place next to President Trump on the red carpet Sunday night for the Kennedy Center Honors — the first time a sitting president had hosted the event — she did so with her hair down in its usual waves, wearing a minimal black gown, the kind that has become her signature: sleeveless, with a boat neck and a straight silhouette. So far, so understated. And so pointed.
The first lady’s look, it turned out, was by Givenchy, the French brand owned by luxury behemoth LVMH, currently designed by Sarah Burton. And though Mrs. Trump has never made a secret of her affinity for a European luxury brand, often wearing Dior (also owned by LVMH) for her public appearances as first lady, it was a notable choice in this context.
That’s because doing so made one thing clear. Really, the night was not about the stars. It was about Mr. Trump and his priorities.
After all, if there was ever a time to put local fashion in the spotlight, it would have been on an evening meant to celebrate the best of American talent. One in which the first couple spent 20 minutes posing for the cameras. (The show is intended to be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 23.) Mrs. Trump has worn Carolina Herrera in the past, as well as Ralph Lauren. It’s not as though the Trumps and the fashion industry are in a standoff anymore, as they were during Mr. Trump’s first term.
But then, LVMH owns not only Givenchy, but also the company that made the new medallions for the evening’s honorees: Tiffany. Which happens to have its flagship store right next door to Trump Tower and whose owner, Bernard Arnault, was a guest at Mr. Trump’s most recent inauguration and has been involved in lobbying Mr. Trump about his tariffs. In other words, while Mrs. Trump’s choice looked simple, it came with all sorts of layers. And it set the tone.
While Mr. Trump may have extolled the evening as “hot” and the site as “gorgeous,” and the subtheme of the honorees may have been effectively “stars of the 1980s,” a decade known for its maximalism, it seemed as though no one wanted to overshadow the host of the evening or steal any of the spotlight. They were all simply supporting actors in his one-night-only reality show.
Aside from Gloria Gaynor, who showed up in a caped gown sprinkled with silver sequins, and Gene Simmons of Kiss, who wore a pair of python shoes, the entrance-making razzle-dazzle was unexpectedly subdued. Washington, D.C. has never been known as a style capital, but in recent years it has raised its game at events like the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. It would have made sense for guests to go all out this time around. Apparently not.
Attorney General Pam Bondi wore a simple chocolate brown dress with a tuxedo bib insert. Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth, the wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, chose a strapless black gown. And Tiffany Trump wore an off-the-shoulder emerald velvet look, which was about as fancy as it got.
But the lack of glitz, while allowing the president to shine, also focused attention on the details. Namely the fact that Mr. Trump, in a classic tuxedo, like most of the other men in attendance, was sporting some unusual accessories: two visible bandages over the much-discussed bruises on the back of his right hand.
Given the recent debate about his health, that could create some drama.
Vanessa Friedman has been the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The Times since 2014.
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