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Alyssa Chen

The US president’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump had a front-row seat at a White House welcome ceremony for President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan on Thursday, wearing a dress by Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei.
Trump, in a robin’s egg blue dress and matching jacket, and her 15-year-old daughter Arabella Kushner occupied a prominent position at the ceremony, alongside Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance.
The arrangement drew attention since members of Donald Trump’s cabinet – including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth – were seated further back.
US media reported that Ivanka Trump’s striking blue gown and jacket with silver embroidery were designed by Guo, while her daughter wore a white belted midi dress by London-based fashion brand Self-Portrait.

The choice of a Beijing-based designer as well as the seating arrangement reflected the Trump family’s personal and commercial ties with China. During Donald Trump’s first term as president, his daughter Ivanka was an unpaid adviser and became an important conduit for Chinese officials in Washington.
When Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan visited the United States in April 2017, Ivanka’s daughter Arabella performed the traditional Chinese ballad “Mo Li Hua” (Jasmine Flower) and recited Tang dynasty poetry in Chinese.
Later that year in Beijing, President Trump showed Xi private video recordings of his granddaughter addressing the Chinese leader and his wife as “Grandpa Xi” and “Grandma Peng”.

Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump secured multiple trademark approvals in China during her father’s presidency in 2018, sparking widespread discussion about potential conflicts of interest. Trademarks covered standard fashion and lifestyle goods and also services like voting machines and nursing homes.
She shut down her business in mid-2018, saying that she would focus on her government work. In 2022, Ivanka Trump announced she was stepping away from politics and leaving the political arena.
There was symbolism in wearing a dress for Thursday’s ceremony by Chinese designer Guo. The 59-year-old is best known for creating a spectacular trailing yellow embroidered cape with fur trim that pop star Rihanna wore to the 2015 Met Gala – a piece that took two years and more than 50,000 hours to complete.


Ivanka Trump’s choice also echoed the Chinese first lady’s cultural diplomacy through fashion. Peng is known for championing home-grown Chinese designers and traditional culture through her fashion choices.


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Ivanka Trump takes front-row seat to welcome Xi in dress by Chinese designer Guo Pei

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ivanka Trump (right) and her daughter Arabella Kushner (centre) attend a welcome ceremony for President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Ivanka Trump wears a striking dress designed by Beijing-based Guo Pei. Photo: AP

(From left) US Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, with Ivanka Trump and her daughter Arabella Trump at the White House on Thursday. Photo: EPA

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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sit together during a state dinner at the White House on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Donald Trump toasts with Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan during the dinner. Photo: AP

Tesla CEO Elon Musk raises a glass with American first lady Melania Trump. Photo: AP

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman talks with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the dinner. Photo: AP

The state dinner menu printed in Chinese. Photo: AP

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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping observe a ceremonial flyover at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on September 23, 2026. Xi is visiting the United States until Friday. Photo: AFP

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On April 6, 2017, US President Donald and his wife, Melania, pose for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jingping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the entrance of Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Photo: Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan arrive at Palm Beach International Airport in 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan arrive at Cairo International Airport for an official visit to Egypt earlier this month. Photo: AFP

Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan visit Banchang Primary School in Beijing in November 2017. Photo: AP

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US President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

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Rihanna wears a dress by Guo Pei at the 2015 Met Gala in New York. Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Outfits from Dutch-Chinese fashion designer Hu Sheguang’s “Silk Road” collection at London’s Natural History Museum in 2017. He is one of many designers making waves with looks inspired by traditional Chinese culture. Photo: sheguang-hu.com

Robert Wun is a Hong Kong-born, London-based designer.

An outfit featuring Hu Sheguang’s “Northeast floral pattern” is shown at Shanghai Fashion Week 2024. Photo: sheguang-hu.com

One of Hu’s outfits that incorporates Chinese cultural elements.

Rihanna wearing “that” dress at the 2015 Met Gala in New York. The garment is currently on show as part of Guo Pei’s solo exhibition at M+. Photo: Getty Images

Guo Pei’s “The Qing-hua Porcelain” dress is displayed at her exhibition at M+. Photo: Elson Li

Outfits designed by Guo Pei are displayed at the Chinese fashion designer’s exhibition at M+. Photo: Elson Li

Guo Pei, one of China’s most prolific fashion designers, currently has a solo exhibition at M+ in Hong Kong. Photo: Production Avenue

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China

Diplomacy

US president’s eldest daughter had a prominent position at the ceremony and wore a striking blue outfit from Beijing-based couturier


US president’s eldest daughter had a prominent position at the ceremony and wore a striking blue outfit from Beijing-based couturier.


Ivanka Trump takes front-row seat to welcome Xi in dress by Chinese designer Guo Pei

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}US president’s eldest daughter had a prominent position at the ceremony and wore a striking blue outfit from Beijing-based couturier

US president’s eldest daughter had a prominent position at the ceremony and wore a striking blue outfit from Beijing-based couturier