US First Lady Melania Trump (above) and president’s adviser Ivanka Trump (left), in New Delhi.

tos and a messy chignon.

Perhaps it was her way of giving a tribute to the sari, said Indian designers. The bow detail on the neck brought to mind the sari pallu. As designer Shruti Sancheti put it: “FLOTUS has tried to interpret to sari in her own unique way. It looks like a cross between an Arabic silhouette and the Indian sari. She’s put in a lot of thought into this look and clearly, her styling team has done a good deal of research in India’s sartorial history and we should applaud her effort.”

The colour itself may have been a homage to India. After all, as iconic Vogue Editor Diana Vreeland once noted, “Pink is the blue of India”.

A section of style arbiters vouch that FLOTUS stayed true to her personal style and not completely Indianised herself. “The fabric of Melania’s dress looks breathable and I think the look is occasion-appropriate. She’s being respectful of Indian sensibilities without compromising on comfort,” said designer Payal Singhal about the day dress.

However, it was Ivanka’s tailored-to-thrill avatar in the morning which won applause from designers and stylists across the board. On Ivanka’s sherwani which costs ~82,400, designer Dongre said: “It is timeless, and such a classic. We created this style 20 years ago and it’s amazing to see how beautifully relevant it is even today. A powerful, standout silhouette, a sherwani carries the same charisma in absolutely any colour...”