Melania Trump’s 'Head Of State Collection' Auction Misses Target
When announcing the auction, Trump said a portion of proceeds from her auctioned ‘Head of State Collection’ would go to children in foster care
Melania Trump's wardrobe during her time in the White House made her a style icon to some, and a regular topic of conversation for others - how could anyone forget that controversial 'I really don't care' parka coat?
Whether her looks were maligned or lauded, it would have been safe to assume that an auction featuring clothing items from her four-year tenure as First Lady would at the very least draw lots of attention.
But, the 'Head of State Collection' that she put up for auction, which comprised of the Hervé Pierre hat she wore during a 2018 visit by French president Emanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, hasn't exactly gone to plan.
When the closing bids were made and the auction came to an end, it was discovered that only five bids appear to have been made at all, and the lot had failed to reach its desired monetary threshold of $250,000 (£187,000) for an opening bid.
The 'Head of State Collection' actually appears to have sold for about $170,000.
It isn't necessarily the case that the 51-year-old wife of former US president Donald Trump's items were undesirable. The main problem, it would appear, is that Trump decided that the auction would only accepted a form of payment called Solana (SOL), a type of cryptocurrency.
And unfortunately, a broad Crypto crash in the second half of January drastically affected the value of various currencies, with SOL experiencing one of the worst drops. By Wednesday morning, its value had sunk to as low as $95, meaning the value of the bids for Trump's auction were severely hit.
And so while the initial bidding for Trump's two-week long online-only auction (from January 11-25) was equivalent to £187,000 ($250,000), when the auction was scheduled to end, the final listed bid had decreased in value to around £127,000 ($170,000), per the New York Times.
Trump had originally stated that part of the proceeds from her lot were to go to children in foster care, helping provide access to science and technology educational programmes, but the exact amount of which would be donated wasn't specified and hasn't been clarified since.
As well as the wide-brimmed millinery accessory from French-American designer Pierre, the 'one-of-a-kind' collection, announced on January 4, included an original watercolour on paper by Marc-Antoine Coulon and an exclusive digital artwork (NFT).
Preview the historic ‘Head of State’ auction today at https://t.co/oyRdt2Ncfn pic.twitter.com/akwENnuyKn
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 4, 2022
Of the hat designed by Pierre, who served as trump's fashion stylist during her husband's presidency, and who collaborated on the gown Trump wore to the inaugural ball in 2017, a statement announcing the auction read: 'Indeed, Mrs. Trump's iconic white hat garnered media attention worldwide.'
Speaking of the inaugural ball dress he worked on for Trump, Pierre previously told Harper's Bazaar: 'I believe it was something modern, which was not done before—thank God. The lines are as sleek as a paper cut; the curves of the skirt are fluid, yet the overall shape is sharp and intense. For me it reflects her personality.'
The hat design from the auction collection, made for the French State Visit, and of which was signed by Trump, consisted of the same fabric as the Michael Kors suit she wore on the same occasion – a white crepe textile.
Since 2018, this custom-designed hat has been symbolic of the French state visit to The White House. Now, it's time for someone new to cherish this part of history. #MelaniaNFT #FosteringTheFuture #BeBest pic.twitter.com/gN6QrFUi7d
— Office of Melania Trump (@OfficeofMelania) January 25, 2022
Prior to Trump's 'Head of State Collection', groups of limited edition artwork created with a watercolour of Trump’s eyes, were sold for $150 apiece.
Speaking of the modern decision to monetise material items following a woman's time as First Lady – as opposed to memoirs, a more traditional thing to do – the author of First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies, Kate Andersen, told the New York Times: 'I think it’s unprecedented in modern times.'
She added: 'Generally, it’s not seen as a thing to do.'
Traditional items of clothing worn by a first lady would be donated to a museum.
Trump's daughter, 40-year-old Ivanka, who served as Former Senior Advisor to her father, is also known for her fashion.
The first daughter of the former US president previously had a 'Women Who Work' collection, which started selling on Ebay after being let go by retailer Nordstrom.
