Who is Hervé Pierre, the French stylist behind Melania Trump's look for eight years?

In the cozy world of political fashion, few people manage to reconcile discretion and the allure of the powerful. Hervé Pierre, a French designer who has become essential in the United States, fits into this category. A collaborator of Melania Trump since 2017, he designed the former model's inaugural dress for the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2025.

At 60, Hervé Pierre Braillard – his full name – is a discreet but well-established figure in fashion. Trained in France, he started at Dior before being appointed artistic director of Balmain at just 25 years old. His journey then took him to the United States, where he collaborated with brands such as Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera. At the latter, he served as creative director for fourteen years, dressing First Ladies like Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.

Also read: Should we continue to comment on the style of female politicians?

A discreet collaboration

It was in 2017, thanks to Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, former advisor to Melania Trump, that Hervé Pierre met the woman who would become his muse. Since then, he has accompanied her in her clothing choices, notably signing the ethereal white dress worn during the first inaugural ball. Eight years later, he did it again with an equally striking creation: a strapless dress in off-white silk crepe, embellished with black silk gazar bands. Melania Trump opted for a Harry Winston diamond brooch dating from 1955 – worn as a necklace.

Her silhouette of the day, signed by American designer Adam Lippes and entirely sewn in New York, was almost eclipsed by a hat. Indeed, the First Lady of the United States unleashed passions on social networks by wearing a navy blue and white hat signed Éric Javits which she kept throughout the inauguration of Donald Trump, this Monday, January 20, including during her husband's speech. Why so much excitement? The accessory hid her gaze, like armor. And so all emotion…

Today Hervé Pierre is an independent stylist. He is one of the rare designers to have dressed several First Ladies from opposing camps. If his collaboration with Melania Trump has strengthened his link with the Republican clan, he prefers to highlight his passion for fashion and design. In an interview with WWD in 2021, he reflected on his first meeting with the First Lady, a few days before Donald Trump's first inauguration, in 2017. “I met her for the first time on January 3 (2017, through a mutual friend, Editor's note) and, on January 7, she asked me to design her outfit for the inauguration ceremony.” The designer had eleven days to respond to the request. In 2018, she asked him to become her stylist. “I am designer, so doing styling was something I didn't really master, explained Hervé Pierre. I had to learn on the job. I told Melania, 'You know, I'm not a stylist,' and she said, 'I'm not a first lady either, so we'll learn together.'