Gabrielle Okun on July 16, 2018
Vanity Fair praised first lady Melania Trump’s butterfly belt as a sign of diplomacy during a meeting with Finnish first lady Jenni Haukio in Helsinki Monday.
Trump, dressed in a $3,700 light yellow Gucci outfit, received a rare accolade from Vanity Fair due to her addition of a butterfly belt. The first lady’s butterfly adornment was referred to as “sartorial diplomacy” due to Haukio’s matching butterfly-inspired dress, wrote Hilary Weaver for Vanity Fair.
“Melania Trump is engaging in some much less high-stakes diplomacy, meeting on Monday with Finnish first lady Jenni Haukio and, whether intentionally or not, matching Haukio’s butterfly-patterned dress with a butterfly belt of her own,” Weaver wrote.
“Enjoyed conversation with the First Lady of Finland today – good conversation about issues facing our nations,” Trump wrote on Twitter, thanking Haukio for hosting her. Trump also included a photo of the two first ladies wearing their similar butterfly-inspired outfits.
Enjoyed conversation with the First Lady of Finland today – good conversation about issues facing our nations. Thank you to @JenniHaukio for hosting me! pic.twitter.com/wSzjA7cQq1
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) July 16, 2018
Butterfly symbols refer to resurrection in Christianity, according to USA Today. Butterflies can also mean endurance, change, life, and hope in different cultures.
