At the Kennedy Center’s opening night of Les Misérables, Second Lady Usha Vance captured attention in a stunning strapless black gown with white accents by New York City designer Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss. The dress, sourced from a New Jersey boutique, is just another of Vance’s elegant yet understated looks.
While her husband, Vice President JD Vance, opted for the classic tuxedo look, Usha embraced a bold slit and architectural detailing on her black Shoshanna dress, which features separate bustiers and a sophisticated silhouette.
Lonstein Gruss explained the piece is “an architectural twist on the brand’s classic column strapless dress,” part of her resort collection and crafted entirely in New York City, where 75% of her Made in New York-certified production takes place, as reported by WWD.
Usha Vance’s stylist, Isabella Nardone, who is closely tied to the Windswept boutique in Mendham, New Jersey, owned by her mother Elizabeth for nearly two decades, has played a key role in curating the Second Lady’s wardrobe.
The boutique has supplied several pieces for Vance, including pants, blazers, dresses, and silk blouses. Nardone shared, “Isabella has said that Usha’s great to work with, and that she is smart, funny, discerning, and definitely knows what she likes.”
Their collaboration extends beyond clothing to accessories: a pair of Catherine Canino pearl earrings purchased at Windswept gained significant attention after Usha wore them during President Trump’s second inauguration.
Nardone proudly noted, “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.”
In the high-profile outing, Melania Trump, chose a conservative yet striking black gown from Bottega Veneta featuring gold motifs, accompanied by silver stilettos, while Donald Trump wore a classic tuxedo, just like Vice President Vance and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.