Washington: The returning first couple have released their new official portraits: a perfectly synced duet of lady-boss power and glowering demand for surrender. Melania Trump worked with Regine Mahaux, the Belgian photographer who documented her first tenure at the White House. This time, the first lady was photographed in stark black and white instead of colour, but she is once again wearing the Italian brand Dolce & Gabbana.
For her 2025 portrait, it’s a dark tuxedo jacket with strong, sharp shoulders. Donald and Melania Trump’s official portraits. Credit: Illustration: Marija Ercegovac She’s positioned in a typical corporate power stance with her arms spread wide as her hands rest on a reflective tabletop.
She stands with her gaze cast directly at the viewer with a blurred Washington Monument in the distance. And she is not smiling – not with her mouth and not with her eyes. Her jaw is set; her mouth is a straight line; her eyes do not twinkle.
The lighting is kind. The focus is respectful. The first lady’s face has been relieved of any evidence of life experiences, whether disheartening or invigorating.
The viewer does not know if she has cried or laughed, thought deeply or raised an eyebrow in curiosity. The image is a far cry from those favoured by close-up portraitist Martin Schoeller, the photographer of Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel, who has rarely seen a wrinkle, blemish or age spot he did not want to scrutinise in the most unapologetic terms - and wh.