A fashion icon was spotted at the White House this week—putting ICE Barbie Kristi Noem to shame.
Anna Wintour, the world-famous Vogue editor, rolled up to the South Lawn sporting her perfectly sleek bob and equipped with a mission: to discuss the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the fashion industry.
She was not, however, there to end the feud between her and First Lady Melania Trump and finally give her a spot on the cover.
Wintour was flanked by two other industry legends: Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), and Stephen Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).
The Trumps opened their home for the party, even though Wintour has famously snubbed the pair on more than one occasion.
Melania and Wintour share a host of similarities: both are foreign-born, cold and commanding figures who have an affection for Italian designers. For a while, the two seemed to get along fine: before his presidential run, Trump and his wife were routinely invited to the Met Gala and other Vogue events. Melania even graced the cover of Vogue in 2005 wearing her wedding dress.
But things changed once Trump was elected. In October 2017, Wintour vowed she would “never” invite Trump back to the Met Gala. And unlike former First Ladies Jill Biden and Michelle Obama, Wintour pointedly chose not to put Melania on the cover of Vogue.
Wintour arrived in Washington, D.C. to meet with Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, in the hopes of finding relief for the heavily tariffed, $500 billion fashion industry. The industry, which supports 10 million jobs nationwide, has borne a large brunt of Trump’s attacks.
Right now, the average tax on fashion items is nearly 13 percent. And even though the products only make up approximately 5 percent of what the U.S. imports, they are responsible for over a quarter of the total tariffs collected. Since the fashion industry is already so heavily taxed, the three industry leaders told Wiles the extra tariffs would only put the fashion industry at a disproportionate disadvantage.
Wintour, a proud Democrat, was there to say her piece—and butter up to the Trump administration—despite the ongoing feud with Melania. According to Wintour’s biographer, Amy Odell, Vogue twice tried to photograph Melania during Trump’s first term. She declined both times when she learned it would not guarantee her a cover feature.
Immediately after Melania posed for her first White House official portrait, wearing a black Dolce & Gabbana business suit, Vogue published a scathing article saying that the outfit made Melania appear “more like a freelance magician than a public servant.”
“Trump looked more like she was guest-starring on an episode of The Apprentice than assuming the role of First Lady of the United States,” wrote Vogue‘s Hannah Jackson.
Republicans fell in line to support Melania.
Melania’s friend, Bill White, wrote on X: “We cherish and support [Melania]. We’ve decided to cancel all our subscriptions to Condé NASTY. I urge everyone who loves America to join us in this action.”
Melania’s former confidante, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, wrote a book that shone a light on the depth of the rivalry: “I don’t give a f— about Vogue or any other magazine,” Melania allegedly said. “They would never put me on the cover. All these people are so mad.”
The drama extends to the president, too. According to Odell, when Wintour came to visit Trump in New York in 2016, after he won the election, he reportedly felt “offended” that nobody told him ahead of time. He was so upset he “didn’t even say hello.”
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