國宴上的範思哲 米歇爾傳遞的強烈信號

On Tuesday night, at her final state dinner as first lady, Michelle Obama solidified her legacy as perhaps the most adept and successful practitioner of the art of political dressing that any administration has seen.

週二晚上，米歇爾•奧巴馬(Michelle Obama)以第一夫人的身份參加她的最後一個國事晚宴時，鞏固了她的政治遺產——她是歷屆政府中最熟練、最成功的政治着裝藝術實踐者。

Her choice of an Atelier Versace gown for the Italy state dinner was not only a nice bit of sartorial diplomacy — Versace being an Italian success story, a company often touted as a candidate for a public offering — but, coming less than a week after her magnetic speech in New Hampshire on women and respect, it went far beyond being simply an ambassadorial nod to a guest country’s talent and made a powerful subliminal statement.

她身着範思哲高定(Atelier Versace)參加意大利國宴，這不僅是很出色的時裝外交——範思哲是意大利的成功品牌，一直傳說要上市——不到一週前，她剛在新罕布什爾州就女性和尊重議題發表了一個非常精彩的演講，她選擇這件禮服遠遠不止是對來訪國家的人才所做的外交致意，同時也是在下意識地表達一個強有力的聲明。

The dress, after all, was made of rose gold … chain mail.

要知道這件衣服還是玫瑰金色的……護身鎧甲。

As much as it was gracefully cut and draped, it also spoke of armor and female strength, of the need to gird yourself to fight for what you believe in.

它不僅擁有優雅的裁剪和褶襉，同時也是對防禦和女性力量的表達，暗示需要做好準備，爲信仰而戰。

And it was designed by Donatella Versace, a woman who was famously thrust into one of the most difficult situations of all: having to take over and preserve the company founded by her brother after his murder in Miami.

而且大家都知道，它的設計師多娜泰拉•範思哲(Donatella Versace)是一個挺身而出、直面困境的女性：當哥哥在邁阿密遇害後，她不得不接手並扛起他所創辦的這家公司。

And who, despite a fair number of doubts, has ultimately triumphed — in part by transforming the aesthetic of her company from one built on the power of sex to one built on the power of self.

儘管面臨着相當多的質疑，她最終還是取得了成功——部分是因爲她將這個品牌的美學標準從基於性的力量轉移了自我的力量上。

After all, Ms Versace did describe her most recent women’s wear collection, shown in Milan last month, as, all about a woman’s freedom: freedom of movement, freedom of activity, freedom to fight for their ideas, freedom to be whomever you want to be.

要知道，對於上個月在米蘭亮相的範思哲最新女裝系列，範思哲女士進行過這樣的描述，它們完全關乎女人的自由：行動自由、活動自由、爲自己的理念而戰的自由，你想要成爲什麼人的自由。

And she set it to a soundtrack by the trance duo Violet + Photonz that featured the statement that it was time for women to take the lead.

她爲這個系列選擇的背景音樂是迷幻音樂二人組Violet+ Photonz的作品，裏面表達的是讓女性帶頭的時候到了。

Given the current political conversation in the United States, think that’s a coincidence? Think that escaped the East Wing?

鑑於美國目前的政治對話，你認爲這是巧合嗎？你認爲這沒有被白宮東翼注意到嗎？

Especially given that Mrs Obama has worn other Italian labels, including Gucci (on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last month), Missoni (during her 2013 trip to Italy and Britain with her daughters) and a black-and-white print Giambattista Valli earlier in the day when she and the president greeted Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife, Agnese Landini.

特別是考慮到奧巴馬伕人曾穿過其他意大利品牌，包括Gucci（上個月的《艾倫秀》上），Missoni（2013年她和兩個女兒去意大利和英國旅行的時候），以及她和總統迎接意大利總理馬泰奧•倫齊(Matteo Renzi)及夫人阿涅塞•蘭迪尼(Agnese Landini)的當天，她穿的是一件黑白印花的Giambattista Valli。

But, until Tuesday evening, she had not appeared in Versace.

但在本週二晚上之前，她從沒有公開穿過範思哲。

Especially because Ms Versace designed the gown specifically for Mrs Obama, according to a company spokeswoman.

尤其是因爲範思哲女士專門爲奧巴馬伕人設計了這身禮服——該公司發言人說道。

Especially because Ms Versace then said, I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to dress the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

尤其是因爲範思哲女士說：有機會爲美國第一夫人米歇爾•奧巴馬設計衣服，本人深感謙卑與榮幸。

Thank you Michelle for all the things you did for America and for the rest of the world, for the women in the U.S. and the rest of the world.

謝謝米歇爾，謝謝你爲美國和世界其他地方，爲美國和世界其他地方的女性所做的一切。

The first lady’s wardrobe adviser, Meredith Koop, is on record as telling Harper’s Bazaar that when engaging in cross-border events, Mrs Obama always takes into account a country’s cultural norms and attempts to pay tribute.

第一夫人的着裝顧問梅雷迪思•科普(Meredith Koop)有一次告訴《哈潑斯芭莎》雜誌(Harper’s Bazaar)，在參與國事活動時，米歇爾總是會考慮到對方國家的文化範式，並試圖向其致以敬意。

During her eight years in the White House and 14 state dinners, Mrs Obama has not always hewed to this policy (at the Nordic state dinner in May she wore the Indian-American designer Naeem Khan), but for the majority of the time it has proved the rule.

她在白宮8年，參加過14次國宴，雖然並非總是遵行這種做法（在今年5月的北歐國家晚宴上，她穿着印裔美國設計師納伊姆•汗[Naeem Khan]的服裝），但大多數時候都是如此。

As a result, it has changed expectations about the role of dress in apparently ceremonial situations.

這就改變了人們對女裝在儀式類場合中發揮的作用的期望。

Every look the first lady wears to a state dinner practically breaks the internet and is described with adjectives such as stuns and wows and slays.

第一夫人在國宴上的每個造型都引爆了互聯網，人們用驚豔、超讚和必殺這樣的詞彙來描述它們。

But the fact is, what makes them really notable is that they go beyond the simply pretty (though they are also pretty).

但其實真正值得注意的是，這些造型不僅僅是漂亮（雖然也很漂亮）。

They demonstrate, in the same conscious way that characterizes so many of Mrs Obama’s choices, that even the most seemingly superficial detail, when considered, can have a meaningful resonance.

這些造型，就像奧巴馬伕人其他很多有意識的選擇一樣，即使看似最表面的細節，如果琢磨一下，也能產生有意義的共鳴。

Whether the next person to occupy her position is a first gentleman or a first lady, he or she should take note.

無論接下來接替她位置的是第一丈夫還是第一夫人，都應該注意到這一點。