JEDDAH: The first lady’s decision to visit Saudi Arabia without a wearing a head covering prompted headlines across the globe on Saturday — but many in the Kingdom took to social media to comment on her classy and conservative look.
Melania Trump landed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh wearing a Stella McCartney jumpsuit adorned with a statement belt, which was the most eye-catching feature of the all-black overall.
The stretch cady jumpsuit — with wide-leg silhouette, keyhole cut-out at the bust, and cuffed sleeves — caught the attention of many international media outlets and was admired by Saudis who appreciated the modest, yet classy look of the first lady.
“Melania Trump before leaving the United States vs. Melania while landing in Saudi Arabia. Respect for the country’s traditions,” one Twitter user said with a thumbs-up. “Not only modest, but elegant at the same time.”
The loose outfit almost resembled the traditional black abaya — a loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress — worn by Saudi women.
The simple black look was decorated with a chunky, chain-link necklace and statement metallic python waist belt from Saint Laurent.
Saudi women already began posting images of themselves wearing “Melania-style” abayas. Jeddah-based Nahed Andijani, owner of Trendy Sketch PR, shared a picture of her abaya, which looks almost the same — all black with a golden rose in the middle.
“When I saw her arrival pictures wearing a modest outfit respecting our culture, I was like ‘this looks so much like my abaya!’ ” Andijani told Arab News. “She wore a golden belt, while I wore a golden rose but still look so much alike.”
Andijani expressed her excitement that she shares the same fashion taste, as the first lady has “a very high sense of fashion.”
Classy and conservative: US First Lady Melania Trump praised for ‘elegantly respectful’ KSA look
Classy and conservative: US First Lady Melania Trump praised for ‘elegantly respectful’ KSA look
Ilia Malinin hints at ‘inevitable crash’ amid Olympic pressure and online hate in social media post
- He says Olympic pressure and online hate have weighed on him. He described negative thoughts and past trauma flooding in during his skate
- He later congratulated the surprise champion, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan
MILAN: Ilia Malinin posted a video on social media Monday juxtaposing images of his many triumphs with a black-and-white image of the US figure skater with his head buried in his hands, and a caption hinting at an “inevitable crash” amid the pressure of the Olympics while teasing that a “version of the story” is coming on Saturday.
That is when Malinin is expected to skate in the traditional exhibition gala to wrap up the Olympic figure skating program.
Malinin, who helped the US clinch the team gold medal early in the Winter Games, was the heavy favorite to add another gold in the individual event. But he fell twice and struggled throughout his free skate on Friday, ending up in eighth.
He acknowledged afterward that the pressure of the Olympics had worn him down, saying: “I didn’t really know how to handle it.”
Malinin alluded again to the weight he felt while competing in Milan in the caption to his social media video.
“On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside,” wrote the 21-year-old Malinin. “Even your happiest memories can end up tainted by the noise. Vile online hatred attacks the mind and fear lures it into the darkness, no matter how hard you try to stay sane through the endless insurmountable pressure. It all builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash.”
Malinin, who is expected to chase a third consecutive world title next month in Prague, had been unbeaten in 14 events over more than two years. Yet while Malinin always seemed to exude a preternatural calm that belied his age, the son of Olympic skaters Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov had admitted early in the Winter Games that he was feeling the pressure.
The first time came after an uneven short program in the team event, when he finished behind Yuma Kagiyama of Japan — the eventual individual silver medalist. Malinin referenced the strain of the Olympics again after the Americans had won the team gold medal.
But he seemed to be the loose, confident Malinin that his fans had come to know after winning the individual short program. He even playfully faked that he was about to do a risky backflip on the carpeted runway during his free skate introduction.
The program got off to a good start with a quad lutz, but the problems began when he bailed out of his quad axel. He ended up falling twice later in the program, and the resulting score was his worst since the US International Classic in September 2022.
Malinin was magnanimous afterward, hugging and congratulating surprise gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan. He then answered a barrage of questions from reporters with poise and maturity that few would have had in such a situation.
“The nerves just went, so overwhelming,” he said, “and especially going into that starting pose, I just felt like all the traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head. So many negative thoughts that flooded into there and I could not handle it.”
“All I know is that it wasn’t my best skate,” Malinin added later, “and it was definitely something I wasn’t expecting. And it’s done, so I can’t go back and change it, even though I would love to.”
