On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted King Charles and Queen Camilla for a state dinner at the White House on a cool spring evening in Washington, DC. It was a show of pomp, circumstance, and most of all, power—which, depending on your positioning on the political spectrum, could feel eerie or elegant given the current state of the country.

The dress code was white tie—known as the most formal dress code in the United States. The president and king wore tails and white waistcoats. Although Camilla did not wear a tiara, she did wear an amethyst and diamond necklace along with a hot pink gown by London-based designer Fiona Clare. Throughout her trip to the United States, the Queen has reliably chosen British designers in a subtle showing of sartorial support of her homeland.

The First Lady, however, chose a European brand. She opted for a pale delphinium haute couture gown by Christian Dior, paired with off-white gloves. For those who follow fashion and its intersection with power, the choice was a notable one: Delphine Arnault, the C.E.O. of Christian Dior, attended the inauguration of Donald Trump in 2025 alongside her father, L.V.M.H Bernard Arnault. Since then, the First Lady has worn a number of designs by the French House, including a Christian Dior haute couture suit during a September visit to the United Kingdom.