Melania Trump makes subtle tribute to Giorgio Armani after late designer was one of few fashion bigwigs to stand by her
- The First Lady, 55, paid her respects to Giorgio Armani by wearing his design
- She wore a chic, black dress with a small V-neckline and a thin black belt
- READ MORE: Who will inherit Armani's $12.1 billion fortune following his death?
Despite a slew of designers refusing to dress Melania Trump following Donald Trump's election, Giorgio Armani was not one of them.
And the First Lady made her own subtle tribute to the fashion icon on Thursday night following his death aged 91.
Melania attended a private dinner for business leaders hosted by President Trump in Washington, D.C., wearing a chic, black, sleeveless dress.
The 55-year-old's outfit crossed over at the front to create a small V-shaped neckline and was cinched at the waist with a thin black belt.
She let her long blonde hair flow loosely but tucked some strands behind her ear to showcase her large diamond stud earrings.
The First Lady's subtle tribute to the designer, who passed away at age 91 on Thursday, was noted by X (formerly Twitter) account FLOTUS Report.
'She stuns for the second time today, this time wearing a gorgeous black Giorgio Armani dress, honoring his passing earlier today,' they wrote.
'Dear FLOTUS thank you for honoring Giorgio,' one user commented on pictures of Melania.
The First Lady attended a private dinner for business leaders hosted by President Trump, in Washington. D.C. on Thursday night, wearing a chic, black, sleeveless dress
'Her fashion choices always have thought behind them,' agreed another.
The Italian designer passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday surrounded by his family.
Armani died just weeks ahead of a planned 50th anniversary celebration set to take place at Milan fashion week.
In a statement released on Thursday, the fashion house announced his death 'with infinite sorrow.'
A spokesperson for the company added: 'Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion, and dedication.'
The designer never shied away from dressing Melania, standing by his response when he was asked if he would dress the incoming First Lady in 2017.
'Why shouldn't I dress a beautiful woman?' he told Women's Wear Daily. '[Fashion] goes beyond politics.'
He was one of the last designer's of his caliber to eschew the intrusion of politics in the world of high fashion, and publicly stand by Melania.
The Italian designer passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday surrounded by his family. Armani pictured in 2021
Armani died just weeks ahead of a planned 50th anniversary celebration set to take place at Milan fashion week. Pictured in 1988
She wore her blonde hair out with a slight wave to it, with it tucked behind one ear, showing off her massive diamond stud earrings
The technology and business leaders met at the State Dining Room at the White House on Thursday night, with tech titans such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg in attendance - however, Elon Musk was noticeably absent
The 55-year-old's dress crossed over at the front, with a small V. It was cinched at the waist with a thin black belt with crocodile patent
In truth, Melania has only infrequently chosen to wear Armani, but the legendary designer’s stance emphasized the universality of the fashion empire he created over a career that spanned fifty years.
Earlier in the day, Melania was seen wearing a two-piece pinstripe power suit featuring a loosely fitted blazer and wide-length, high-waisted trousers at a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education at the White House.
She completed the look with a plain white t-shirt and a belt in a matching tone.
Melania's outfit shows she's veered away from the FLOTUS fashion rulebook that other wives of presidents, such as Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, dutifully abided by.
Instead of conservative ball gowns, simple ensembles, and tailored suits, the mother-of-one has ushered in a new era where modern fashion takes precedence.
The technology and business leaders met at the State Dining Room at the White House on Thursday night, with tech titans such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg in attendance - however, Elon Musk was noticeably absent.
Melania and her husband were flanked by tech titans Bill Gates and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Melania Trump sported a loose-fitted suit during a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education in the East Room at the White House on Thursday
'I know all of them indirectly, and I know some of them very well, but I know everybody at the table indirectly through reading about you and studying,' the president said, greeting the intimate group.
Attendees also consisted of Apple's Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google's co-founder Sergey Brin, who brought along his girlfriend Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto, who Trump complimented, calling her his 'really wonderful MAGA girlfriend.'
Brin was previously married to Nicole Shanahan, who served as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate during his 2024 independent presidential bid.
Trump asked the tech leaders to speak and then opened it up to questions from reporters.
