Creating Melania Trump’s 2025 inauguration hat was a race against time. Milliner Eric Javits received a frantic call from her stylist, Herve Pierre, days before the event: the original design, a custom wool boater, arrived crushed and waterlogged. Javits, calling it “one of the greatest honors” of his career, stitched a replacement in four days—by hand. The hat was then driven from Miami to Mar-a-Lago, where Melania finalized her sleek navy ensemble.
The hat’s drama didn’t stop there. High winds during the inauguration forced Melania to grip it tightly, while Donald Trump later joked about “almost losing her” to the gusts. Online, the accessory polarized viewers—some deemed it “absurd,” others “iconic.”
Her official portrait, meanwhile, revealed quieter details. Photographer Régine Mahaux, who’s worked with Melania for decades, shared that the First Lady was deeply involved in the shoot, opting for a bold black-and-white aesthetic to mirror her evolving confidence. From hat chaos to curated imagery, Melania’s 2025 chapter blends meticulous planning with unexpected twists.
