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Ivanka Trump is causing a stir without saying a word.
On Monday, January 20, Donald Trump made history when he was sworn in as US President.
Now, a legendary fashion house that once dressed the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy has — in the eyes of many — diminished its legacy by doing the same for Ivanka.
Who dressed Ivanka Trump for the Inaugural Dinner?
Oscar de la Renta passed away in 2014 following a battle with cancer. The singular designer’s eponymous fashion house remains in operation.
That same house also dressed Ivanka Trump for her January 19, 2025 inaugural dinner with the controversial former (and now, current) president ahead of his retaking power.
Not only did Oscar de la Renta (the fashion brand) dress Ivanka for the occasion, they also showcased the work on Instagram.
The fashion house gushed about dressing Ivanka in the “custom off-shoulder crystal and pearl floral-embroidered empire waist gown with silver stole.”
As you can imagine, countless followers of the page had a very different reaction.
“Oh ok so we’re done with odlr,” one commenter wrote. “ODLR sold their soul,” another characterized, followed with a simple: “Unsubscribe.”
“Sad to be done with odlr,” another Instagram user lamented. Another agreed with an understated: “Not the house’s proudest day.”
Other commenters noted that the Oscar de la Renta fashion brand has “lost it.” Others noted that becoming involved with the Trump crime family like this is “disgraceful.”
An additional Instagram user wrote: “Unfollow after maybe 8 to 10 years. Loved your content but this is unacceptable. Bye.”
And this was not an isolated incident. Earlier that same day, Ivanka Trump wore a tan ensemble for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Oscar de la Renta showcased the photos with apparent pride. Commenters condemned the fashion house for “dressing these people.”
“Oof. Nope. We are not gonna be normalizing ANY OF THIS. UNFOLLOWED,” announced one critic. Many others had similar takes.
Is this really so surprising?
Obviously, longtime fans of fashion and of the Oscar de la Renta brand specifically have every right to express their feelings of disgust and betrayal.
Even though Ivanka Trump has made a point to avoid acting as a political prop for much of this campaign, that was not true eight years ago. And in this case, she was attending her father’s formal events, not taking her kid to a Taylor Swift concert. This is not apolitical.
The overlap between the worlds of fashion and politics has long been a source of controversy.
As many have noted, Hugo Boss crafted uniforms for the SS. Coco Chanel was herself a Nazi informant.
Now, Oscar de la Renta is finding itself at the center of a heated controversy. The brand has yet to publicly respond to today’s backlash,
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