Ivanka Trump Takes Front-row Seat To Welcome Xi In Dress By Chinese Designer Guo Pei

The US president’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump had a front-row seat at a White House welcome ceremony for President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan on Thursday, wearing a dress by Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei.

Trump, in a robin’s egg blue dress and matching jacket, and her 15-year-old daughter Arabella Kushner occupied a prominent position at the ceremony, alongside Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance.

The arrangement drew attention since members of Donald Trump’s cabinet – including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth – were seated further back.

US media reported that Ivanka Trump’s striking blue gown and jacket with silver embroidery were designed by Guo, while her daughter wore a white belted midi dress by London-based fashion brand Self-Portrait.

Ivanka Trump wears a striking dress designed by Beijing-based Guo Pei. Photo: AP

The choice of a Beijing-based designer as well as the seating arrangement reflected the Trump family’s personal and commercial ties with China. During Donald Trump’s first term as president, his daughter Ivanka was an unpaid adviser and became an important conduit for Chinese officials in Washington.

When Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan visited the United States in April 2017, Ivanka’s daughter Arabella performed the traditional Chinese ballad “Mo Li Hua” (Jasmine Flower) and recited Tang dynasty poetry in Chinese.

Later that year in Beijing, President Trump showed Xi private video recordings of his granddaughter addressing the Chinese leader and his wife as “Grandpa Xi” and “Grandma Peng”.

Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump secured multiple trademark approvals in China during her father’s presidency in 2018, sparking widespread discussion about potential conflicts of interest. Trademarks covered standard fashion and lifestyle goods and also services like voting machines and nursing homes.

She shut down her business in mid-2018, saying that she would focus on her government work. In 2022, Ivanka Trump announced she was stepping away from politics and leaving the political arena.

(From left) US Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, with Ivanka Trump and her daughter Arabella Trump at the White House on Thursday. Photo: EPA

There was symbolism in wearing a dress for Thursday’s ceremony by Chinese designer Guo. The 59-year-old is best known for creating a spectacular trailing yellow embroidered cape with fur trim that pop star Rihanna wore to the 2015 Met Gala – a piece that took two years and more than 50,000 hours to complete.

Ivanka Trump’s choice also echoed the Chinese first lady’s cultural diplomacy through fashion. Peng is known for championing home-grown Chinese designers and traditional culture through her fashion choices.