There were cherry blossoms. There were silk and glass butterflies. There were toasts. There was an entree inspired by a California roll and a Paul Simon performance. But before that, there was photography and fashion.
On Wednesday night, as the Bidens hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, for the fifth state dinner of the Biden administration, Jill Biden, wearing an Oscar de la Renta evening gown, stood with her husband to greet their honored guests at the North Portico.
Designed by Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, the gown flowed in an aqua fade from sapphire blue to pale silver and was covered in hand-embroidered floral geometric beading.
Why did it matter? It wasn’t as symbolically obvious as Naomi Biden’s cherry-print dress or Hillary Clinton’s heavy silk caftan, but by choosing de la Renta, the first lady wasn’t just endorsing an American company that represents the myth of the melting pot. Country. Associated with a long-standing relationship: Oscar de la Renta has dressed almost every first lady since Jackie Kennedy. Dr. Biden first wore the tag to her 2022 inaugural dinner.
On a night meant to highlight another strong relationship — that of the United States and Japan — and affirm the strength of that mutual commitment through the political stage, the label was a fitting choice.
And it suggests that Dr. Biden, who has not always seemed interested in the game of fashion diplomacy, is gearing up with every means at her disposal to amplify her husband’s message, not just as president but as the Democratic nominee for the presidency. against an opponent who pokes fun at reality TV politics — complete with suits.
The election will be held partly in pictures, and already the pictures are beginning to tell a story, at least as far as the women involved are concerned.
Indeed, the state dinner portrait created a striking image that comes just four days after another photo made its own news. In that photo, Melania Trump stood next to her husband outside billionaire John Paulson’s Palm Beach home shortly before a Republican fundraiser on April 6.
While Mr. Trump wore his signature blue suit and tie, Mrs. Trump wore a pink Valentino jumpsuit covered in an exotic flower print — not quite royal purple, but actually the Palm Beach equivalent. Although largely absent from the campaign trail before that night, as well as from Mr. Trump’s many court appearances, the dress was not that of a wallflower but of someone preparing for the limelight.
“Dr. Biden and Mrs. Trump are two supporting actors in a TV show that will run from now until November,” said Michael LaRosa of Ballard Partners, a bipartisan lobbying firm that has worked with the Trumps and is a former press secretary to Dr. Biden. “They have leading roles, but they bring very different styles, approaches and brands to the audience.”
Together, the two photos served as a kind of preview or curtain raiser of what’s to come as Dr. Biden and Mrs. Trump take increasingly public roles in their spouses’ campaigns and every detail, including what they wear, matters. Vibrations may be a workhorse versus a showhorse, but each is equally effective.
After all, as Katherine Jellison, a professor of American history at Ohio State University, has pointed out, clothing serves as a point of access to character for the watching world, a world that is familiar or exciting, relatable or aspirational.
It is no coincidence, for example, that on the first day of the state visit to Japan, Dr. Biden greeted Mr. and Mrs. Kishida in a black Armani dress with a keyhole neckline that he had worn many times before. Bringing clothes back has been one of Dr. Biden’s signature, part of the sustainability conversations, which echoes her husband’s climate policies (not to mention the country’s economic realities). He did so consistently during the administration. To do it again in such a moment of ceremonial display was to double the point.
Nor is it a coincidence that, in the last month, Mrs. Trump has returned to the limelight, appearing at strategic moments in the luxury brands that stand for the financial success that her husband has made part of his sale. if he shrugs in the face of the civil penalties that have been imposed on him. Because she is so rarely seen, every time she appears, she makes an impact. And while this has been widely interpreted as a reluctance to engage, it’s also likely a calculated tactic.
On March 9, for example, wearing sharply tailored white pants and a black shirt with a bow, she joined Mr. Trump at a dinner in honor of Viktor Orban at Mar-a-Lago. (“Pretty Woman” played as she entered.) On March 19, she went with Mr. Trump to vote in the Florida primary in white Alexander McQueen shirt orchid screen print, Christian Louboutin high heels and Chanel bag. And on March 30, she stepped out with her husband in a ruffled black clutch by Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen to celebrate 40th birthday of his lawyer, Alina Habba.
There is no doubt that for Dr. Biden and Mrs. Trump, this is just the beginning. On April 20, Mrs. Trump will be a star guest at a Republican fundraiser at the Log Cabin at (natch) Mar-a-Lago. A few weeks later, on May 1, the White House, Dr. Biden said “CBS Mornings,” host another state dinner — this time for teachers, as part of the Teacher of the Year celebrations.
Both events may take place behind closed doors, but the costume drama will be there for all to see.