Following Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Liberty Inaugural Ball was held, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, used the occasion to pay homage to Audrey Hepburn. The First Daughter wore a recreation of the actress’s iconic Givenchy gown from 1954’s Sabrina (as you can see above), and it drew a lot of attention. Now, Hepburn’s son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, is weighing in on the fashion moment that was made legendary by his mother.
As you can see in the image above of Ivanka and the photo below of Audrey, the two white gowns match almost perfectly. However, Donald Trump’s daughter decided to accessorize a bit differently, opting for a necklace and black gloves whereas Hepburn simply wore a pair of small earrings with the garment in Sabrina.
In a statement from The White House (via The Daily Mail), it was explained that Ivanka was “honored” to wear the gown and she was inspired by Audrey Hepburn.
Then, the outlet reached out to the actress’s son about her wearing a recreation of the movie gown that is totally red-carpet worthy. In response, he said it’s “no wonder” she decided to wear this dress made famous by the Hollywood it girl, and he explained why with the following:
It is no wonder that growing up in a family which knew our mother as a household name she chose to draw inspiration from her, to seek the ultimate elegance and class reference, for an occasion such as this one – the inauguration and the 32nd anniversary of our mother’s passing and, most of all, Martin Luther King’s day. What a cocktail!
The story went on to note that the Trump family has a few ties to the Hepburns. Donald and Ivanka’s stepmother, Marla Ann Maples was on the advisory board for the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund in the ‘90s and that organization held an event for Ivanka’s stepsister Tiffany that was themed after Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Along with that, Trump’s first wife, Ivana, was in a long relationship with Roffredo Gaetani, who is the oldest son of one of Hepburn’s childhood friends.
Hepburn Ferrer went on to say that his mother is a fashion icon – which is true, her fashionable movies have had me rethinking my wardrobe on many occasions. Noting that Hepburn is like an “anchor” for many celebrities, her son explained:
Over the past 71 years her legacy has grown to become transgenerational and transnational. Her elegance, which has its roots in her inner beauty and spirit, is often a reference point, an anchor, for many celebrities, actresses and models in these times in which we appear to have somewhat lost our way.
After that, the story noted that Hepburn Ferrer was asked about the backlash Ivanka received for the dress. He noted that his mother was a UNICEF ambassador, and she worked to help “disenfranchised children worldwide regardless of the ideological environment in which they were born in.”
Overall, it would appear that Ivanka appreciates Audrey Hepburn and wanted to pay homage to her by wearing a dress that looks exactly like the coolest outfit to be featured in the Oscar-winning film, Sabrina.
To see the film that inspired this look, you can stream 1954’s Sabrina with a premium Amazon Prime subscription, and MGM+ subscription.