Melania Trump wears Michael Kors coat for surprise appearance at Madison Square Garden rally – WWD

As critics, pundits and voters analyzed who said what at Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden on Sunday — namely the more controversial speakers like comedian Tony Hinchcliffe — others were taken aback by Melania Trump’s surprise appearance.

Having been largely absent from the campaign trail, the former first lady took the stage to introduce her husband on Sunday night. Instead of wearing the more predictable Republican red, as she did to host a GOP fundraiser in August, the retired model went with a zebra coat from Michael Kors. The coat was one that her stylist Hervé Pierre said he bought at Michael Kors’ Madison Avenue store a few years ago. Speculating that the company will receive calls from buyers wanting to buy the style, Pierre said: “It was a few seasons ago and there was only one.”

Kors was among the high-profile designers who participated in last month’s Fashion for Our Future event, which ended with a speech by first lady Jill Biden in Bryant Park.

Although Melania Trump was not a repeat performer during her husband’s campaign, she has been “closet shopping” recently. For the aforementioned Trump Tower fundraiser, she wore the Valentino dress she first wore in April 2017 to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at Mar-a-Lago. And at the Republican National Convention in July, she wore a modern version of the Christian Dior “Bar” suit she wore for an official visit to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.

As for the zebra coat, “We thought the graphic black and white pattern would look good with an ocean of blue, white and red,” Pierre said, adding that Trump’s color palette is often black and white. These were the colors chosen for her recently released memoir Melania. This edition by Skyhorse Publishing has an all-black cover with her first name in white capitals.

Originally priced at $40, the Melania memoir now sells for $28 on Amazon, where it is the best seller with Hot Mess (Diary of a Weak Kid, Book 19) in second place. The next highest ranked political page is The War by Bob Woodward, which is ranked 15th on Amazon’s bestseller list.

After being invited by the former FLOTUS to attend the rally in midtown Manhattan, Pierre said, “I’m always curious. To witness an event like this at the end of the campaign was unique.”

Amazed at how many people are wearing red “MAGA” baseball caps, the stylist said. “I’ve never seen one on the streets of New York before. I imagine whoever wears one won’t be able to walk a block without getting comments.

Referring to the thousands at the Madison Square Garden event, Pierre said: “Also, I’ve never been a fan of a singer, etc. You know the people who really follow their idol’s public life like a stalker? But there you can see a lot of people who are really fans of [former] president.”

Melania Trump wasn’t the only former first lady in the running for a candidate. Michelle Obama was front and center Saturday to support Vice President Kamala Harris in Kalamazoo, Michigan. As Election Day approached, Obama gave his first campaign speech wearing a custom version of Theory’s staple blazer and high-waisted skinny pants in turtle print crepe. The New York-based brand also customized its fitted silk georgette shirt to match the tortoise shell.

While Obama’s reproductive rights message was a rallying cry for many, her fashion choices may have resonated with others. Those looking to duplicate her style can find the pants marked down to $104 from $325 on Theory’s site. As of Monday morning, the coordinating jacket appeared to be sold out. Theory representatives did not respond to a media inquiry about how Obama’s election has affected the site’s sales and traffic.