There were a lot of questions on everyone's mind as we geared up for the Trump inauguration, including who is going to dress Melania Trump for the festivities. According to the an initial report by Women's Wear Daily, the two unconfirmed front runners for the job are Ralph Lauren and Karl Lagerfeld. Lauren would definitely be the more obvious/traditional choice, considering he's an American designer and has worked with First Ladies (like Hillary Clinton) in the past. But Karl Lagerfeld? Having his name in the ring seems a bit more, well, random. Which begs the question, are Melania Trump and Karl Lagerfeld friends?
Even though there are pictures of Lagerfeld and the First Lady together on the internet, it doesn't necessarily mean they're "friends," per se. It's possible they've met at industry events, but Lagerfeld tends to keep his circle of friends prettttty small (read: elite). After all, it's not like the head designer of Chanel and Fendi is going to be sipping champagne with just anyone. According to Ranker.com (and my own personal Insta-stalking) Karl's posse includes Anna Wintour, Kendall Jenner, and a few European Princesses. And, of course, his cat Choupette, who is independently wealthier and more famous than most humans can even dream of being.
Melania has been spotted in Lagerfeld's Chanel pieces in the past, but it's likely that these may have been purchased off the rack (OK, purchased straight off the runway by a personal shopper and hand delivered to the penthouse at Trump Tower) rather than being gifted to Melania or designed specifically for her by Karl.
So will Karl Lagerfeld's designs be gracing the steps of Capitol Hill on Saturday? "Chanel has not been contacted by the new Administration. We are sorry, but we have no further comments on this matter," says a representative from the brand when I reached out for comment. Though considering Lagerfeld is also the designer-in-chief for Fendi as well as his own namesake brand, he may very well still be in the running for the job, just without the backing of the Chanel name. Bustle reached out to Lagerfeld's team, but have not received a response as of press time.
Regardless of Trump and Lagerfeld's past relationship status ("it's complicated," maybe?), we'll all be patiently waiting to see if his designs make an appearance on Jan. 20 and in the White House over the course of the next four years. Maybe, just maybe, there is a friendship in the making here. Hopefully Melania likes black leather gloves and fluffy white cats.
