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Fashion diplomacy

Fashion diplomacy
An in-depth look at the style of first ladies around the world.
Illustration: Mario Rivera
Asean

Cultural capitals: Southeast Asia seeks soft power to outlast the buzz

The region’s creators are going global, but the structures to sustain them are still catching up.

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Sustainability

Opinion | Why Shein doesn’t have to be the model for the fashion industry

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Celebrity style

Meet Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who styled Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji

Celebrity style

The Look: what Michelle Obama said about her most iconic fashion picks

Michelle Obama – who shares daughters Sasha and Malia with Barack Obama – is known for her bold fashion choices, from Jason Wu to Versace.

Former US president Barack Obama’s wife Michelle Obama just released a new book, The Look, chronicling her fashion throughout the years. Photo: AP
Fame and celebrity

Who is Michelle Obama’s long-time personal stylist, Meredith Koop?

Barack Obama’s wife has been rocking Chanel, Loewe and Simone Rocha fits during the press tour for the release of her latest book, The Look.

Sanae Takaichi

Japan’s first female leader Sanae Takaichi is channelling Margaret Thatcher

Formerly the drummer for a heavy metal band, now Takaichi is fond of blue suits, soft bows and pearls – and Donald Trump just praised her ‘strong handshake’.

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Celebrity style

Fashion looks from Trump’s UK visit – from Princess Kate to Melania

The US first lady wore a Burberry trench coat on arrival, while Kate Middleton shone in the Lover’s Knot tiara, formerly owned by Princess Diana.

Melania Trump and Donald Trump looked sharp on arrival in England, and Prince William and Kate Middleton pulled out all the stops for the state banquet on September 17. Photos: AP, Reuters
Melania Trump

Melania Trump’s best looks so far in 2025: Dior, Prada and Bottega Veneta

Melania turned heads with her massive navy boater hat at Trump’s inauguration, but she’s made few other public appearances this year – though she was just seen at the opening of Les Mis.

Melania Trump

Is the fashion world finally ready to embrace Melania Trump?

Fashion media like Vogue, and key designers and brands, are less likely to ignore the first lady’s wardrobe upon President Donald Trump’s second term – but will she have the so-called ‘Kate Effect’?

Melania Trump

Melania’s big hat: who designed Mrs Trump’s inauguration day outfit?

Melania’s wide-brimmed hat kept Joe Biden at a distance, while Donald joked ‘she almost blew away’ – the first lady’s style has also been likened to Jackie Kennedy’s in the past.

Barron Trump and First Lady Melania Trump listen as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks after being sworn in as the 47th President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS
Kamala Harris

Recap | Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, JD Vance: what are the style secrets behind their campaign looks?

From power pantsuits to iconic red ties, authentic workwear and sober business attire, what do the candidates’ wardrobe choices reveal about their leadership qualities and political messages?

For Kamala Harris, pictured here on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, the power pantsuit became a go-to wardrobe item on the campaign trail. Photo: AFP
Kamala Harris

What Kamala Harris’ wardrobe really says, from bold pantsuits to chill Converse

On the campaign trail, Harris has gone for softer colours, while showing she can also glam it up for special occasions – and of course, she’s still a huge fan of Converse trainers

Celebrity style

How Brigitte Macron always puts her most fashionable foot forward

About to turn 71, Macron has been praised for her unerring fashion sense, with an emphasis on Louis Vuitton, and close ties with LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault and LV creative director Nicolas Ghesquière

Celebrity style

Ivanka Trump’s post-White House style transformation

Since distancing herself from Donald Trump, she’s ditched the safe Gucci and Burberry ‘fits for fun looks to party with Kim Kardashian and Anant Ambani.

Ivanka Trump’s style has changed since she left the White House. Photo: @ivankatrump/Instagram, AFP
How to Style

How to Style like Jackie Kennedy Onassis, the definition of a fashion icon

The former first lady wrote the White House fashion rule book, influencing everyone from Melania Trump to Kate Middleton and even Taylor Swift – here’s how you can follow suit

Wife to president John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy Onassis remains influential to this day – including for her dress sense. Photo: WireImage
How to Style

How to Style like Michelle Obama: confident choices and a good eye for the occasion

The fierce first lady bossed it at her last state dinner in a chain mail Atelier Versace gown, and who can forget her Thom Browne coatdress for Inauguration Day?

Fame and celebrity

How Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is channelling Jackie Kennedy

Meet the Florida first lady, former NBC news anchor and champion equestrian who is ‘strategically’ channelling White House chic at the side of her husband, governor Ron

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Fashion

The enduring fashion legacy of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

Killed in a place crash alongside her husband John F. Kennedy Jr almost 25 years ago, she continues to influence designers with her characterful yet approachable take on dressing well

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy with husband John F. Kennedy Jr, pictured less than three months before their deaths, during the annual White House Correspondents dinner May 1, 1999 in Washington, D.C. Though the couple were killed almost 25 years ago, she remains an enduring influence on designers today. Photo:Liaison
Fashion

Meet the designers pioneering Saudi Arabia’s fashion revolution

As Mohammed Ashi becomes the first Saudi Arabian designer at Paris Fashion Week, calling it the ‘peak’ of his career, excitement for the kingdom’s booming fashion industry is palpable

High Jewellery

Badges of honour: how high jewellery brooches made a glittering comeback

The brooch is back, going from frumpy to fashion-forward after being championed by the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna and the late Madeleine Albright

Cannes Film Festival

‘Stop Executions’: Iranian model’s ‘noose’ dress at Cannes sparks backlash

The internet is divided over Iranian model Mahlagha Jaberi’s Jila Saber bodycon dress with a neckline resembling a noose, in protest of her home country’s ‘wrongful executions’ – here’s what we know

Model Mahlagha Jaberi arrives for the screening of the film The Old Oak during the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 26. Photo: AFP
Celebrity style

18 of US first lady Jill Biden’s best style moments ever

US first lady Jill Biden has great taste in fashion – we look back at 18 of her best style moments, from a silky blue Vera Wang gown to a daring leather dress on NBC’s The Voice with Michelle Obama

US first lady Jill Biden has dressed stylishly while in the public eye throughout the years. Photos: WireImage, Getty Images
Celebrity style

21 of Michelle Obama’s best style moments ever

Michelle Obama’s style has evolved as she went from the highly scrutinised first lady of the US to a book author wearing more adventurous outfits … take a peek at 21 of her best looks over the years

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

9 times Meghan Markle’s style choices had secret messages

For Meghan Markle, a dress is never just a dress … her outfits often include hidden meanings, from looks that mirror Princess Diana to jewellery brands that support women

Fashion

Prada shoes, designer suits: Rishi Sunak’s stealth-wealth wardrobe

UK leader Rishi Sunak’s penchant for Prada shoes and designer suits stand in stark contrast to his predecessors – but also disguises his expensive tastes by frequently dressing semi-casual.

Rishi Sunak speaks at a Conservative Party leadership campaign event in Grantham, Britain, in July. Three months after losing the race to become British prime minister, he replaced the woman who beat him, Liz Truss. Photo: Reuters
Fashion

Liz Truss’ fashion choices – did they help her become UK prime minister?

New British prime minister Liz Truss is known for making bold fashion choices. Whether appearing to copy Michelle Obama or Margaret Thatcher, some observers say her style played a part in her victory.

Conservative party leadership contender Liz Truss channels Margaret Thatcher on the campaign trail. Photo: Getty Images
Fashion

Is South Korea’s Kim Keon-hee the world’s most fashionable first lady?

South Korea’s fashionable first lady Kim Keon-hee isn’t like the other women that have come before her – where they kept low profiles while their husbands ran the country, Kim embraces the spotlight.

France

That chest hair: how Macron vs Le Pen fashion war mirrors election contest

Both Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen are using style choices to swing the tides of battle, with the incumbent French president’s recent chest-flashing photo setting the internet alight.

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