Melania Trump wows in striking monochrome ensemble at state dinner for China's Xi Jinping

Melania Trump flaunted her fashion credentials as she joined husband President Donald Trump at the state dinner for Xi Jinping.The 56-year-old donned a striking monochrome ensemble to greet the Chinese president and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday evening.The First Lady once again opted against donning a gown for the black-tie occasion.Instead, she decided on what appeared to be a $2,300 button-up blouse by Saint Laurent, which boasted oversized bow detailing around the neck.She paired the shirt with black embossed high-waisted pants seemingly priced at $1,945 by Dolce and Gabbana.Melania wore her honey tresses swept back away from her face and finished the look with a pair of black pointed-toe heels and diamond stud earrings.Her penchant for wearing pants at high-profile events has previously been the subject of intense scrutiny. But San Diego-based personal stylist and image consultant Cynthia Kennedy previously told the Daily Mail that her fashion choices send a clear message that the First Lady is 'independent' and 'rebellious.' Melania Trump flaunted her fashion credentials as she joined husband President Donald Trump at the state dinner for Xi Jinping'She's not doing what people expect. She's not wearing safe, dull, traditional First Lady fashion,' Kennedy explained to the Daily Mail back in April.'She's wearing what SHE wants, from her favorite designers – mostly European luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana – and she's making it clear that this job is something she's doing on her own terms,' Kennedy continued.'What she's doing may not necessarily be modern, but it is strategic.'She's showing that she's on a completely different playing field and follows her own rules. She's not interested in dressing for any role,' she said.The Trumps are hosting the Chinese delegation for a state dinner in the East Room, where both presidents are set to deliver remarks.Top Cabinet officials and American CEOs are all in attendance, including executives from Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla and more. Tonight's lavish black-tie is set to be one of the most star-studded evenings of the administration, offering a glitzy opportunity to smooth over notoriously fierce geopolitical friction with the Asian superpower.Behind closed doors in the East Room tonight, Melania's office says they personally orchestrated the evening's extravagant arrangements, transforming the space with red linens, Reagan-era vermeil, and overflowing urns of crimson dahlias – a striking aesthetic that the First Lady notes 'draws on the color red's longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history.' The 56-year-old donned a striking monochrome ensemble to greet the Chinese president and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday evening Xi arrived at Trump's presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, for a welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening As the leaders and their guests dine, there will be several performances, including military musicians and inauguration tenor Christopher Macchio setting a grand soundtrack.Inside the dining room, guests are raising glasses of Schramsberg 'Blanc De Noir' for a symbolic toast, reviving the historic 1972 'Toast to Peace' between Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in China.White House chefs fused classic American ingredients with subtle Asian flavors across a lavish multi-course menu.Xi arrived at Trump's presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, for a welcome ceremony on Wednesday evening. Trump personally greeted Xi at the airport ceremony despite the Chinese president not welcoming the US president at the airport during his trip to Beijing.'He decided to do it because they have a great relationship,' First Lady Melania Trump said previously, 'and we need to welcome them with the most respect.'Earlier today, the Trumps welcomed Xi and his wife Madame Peng to the White House with an arrival ceremony on the State Floor before a military review in the Rose Garden and subsequent bilateral meetings.But tonight's state dinner is not the final event of the visit.On Friday, the Trumps will host the first couple of China for tea at the White House before doing a tour of the National Archives, where they will view key US founding documents.Xi and Madame Peng will then depart from Joint Base Andrews.