Usha Vance's Stylist Bought New York-made Shoshanna Dress for Kennedy Center Event
In turning up at the Kennedy Center Wednesday night in a strapless black Shoshanna dress, Usha Vance sported an American-made design.
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While her vice president husband JD Vance took the traditional route wearing a tuxedo, she wore a strapless black gown with white accents and a high slit from the New York City-based designer Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss. Usha Vance, a former corporate lawyer, has another connection to the Kennedy Center, having been appointed to the Washington National Opera Board by President Donald Trump. The Vances were on the red carpet before the premiere of 'Les Misérables,' where the First Couple were greeted with a mix of jeers and cheers.
Like Usha Vance, First Lady Melania Trump kept things conservative in a black gown from Bottega Veneta that had two gold motifs. Just as Trump's stylist Hervé Pierre is known to be a New York City shopper, apparently Usha Vance's stylist Isabella Nardone is a Tristate one. Vance's black strapless dress was one of several Shoshanna designs that she has worn and purchased from the Windswept boutique in Mendham, N.J. Lonstein Gruss said the $635 design is from her resort collection and was nearly sold out, but there were a few pieces on her site as of Thursday afternoon.
Vance sported an 'architectural twist on the brand's classic column strapless dress, which is constructed with separate bustiers and boning on the interior and smooth, elegant structuring on the exterior,' Lonstein Gruss said.
The style was entirely made in New York City, which is where 75 percent of the designer's Made in New York-certified production is done. The Shoshanna site traffic was on par with the norm Thursday. The designer said, 'We're always happy to see a boost in traffic after a public figure wears Shoshanna, but we don't rely on it.'
As for navigating the praise and criticism that inevitably follow a designer after a political figure wears their label, Lonstein Gruss said she is 'always flattered when anyone chooses to wear our pieces. With literally hundreds of thousands of options available, it is truly a compliment for someone to select a Shoshanna piece. I have seen women on both sides of the aisle wear our clothing, and I assume it is because it made them feel beautiful, comfortable and appropriate.'
The designer said she has never felt criticism for having someone wear Shoshanna pieces. 'We rarely actively dress people, so it's their choice — which is what makes it authentic and organic. And that's who a Shoshanna customer is, and it is so much of the brand,' she said.
Vance's stylist Nardone is deeply connected with the Windswept boutique — her mother Elizabeth has owned it for nearly 20 years. The store owner said, 'Isabella has said that Usha's great to work with, and that she is smart, funny, discerning and definitely knows what she likes.'
The second lady has also worn Generation Love pants, as well as blazers, dresses and silk blouses from the New Jersey boutique. After Vance wore a pair of Catherine Canino pearl earrings that had been purchased at Windswept, during Trump's second inauguration weekend in January, Nardone posted an image of her on the store's social media. That brought in shoppers looking for the earrings, which retail around $120, she said.
Like Lonstein Gruss, Nardone isn't kowtowing to party lines. 'Our Instagram post said, 'We believe that fashion transcends politics.' We included in that post Jill Biden wearing the same earrings. We take it from the perspective that [dressing Vance] is an honor. She's obviously an educated, beautiful woman. It's an honor to be part of it and we would do this for either political party if we had the opportunity,' Nardone said.
In recent days it was Vance's husband who sparked social media debate. The menswear style specialist Derek Guy, who has critiqued the Vice President's style in the past, sounded off on 'X' about the Trump administration's immigration policies. On 'X,' Guy described his family's 'escape' from Vietnam, via Canada and then the U.S. and criticized the Trump administration's immigration policies. Vance later posted on 'X' a screenshot of a gif of Jack Nicholson nodding his head.
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Launch Gallery: Melania Trump Wears Bottega Veneta Dress, Usha Vance Goes Strapless in Shoshanna and More Looks at Kennedy Center's 'Les Misérables' Opening Night
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