In a revealing conversation on Meghan McCain’s Happy Hour podcast, former Vogue editor and current Newsmax host Katrina Szish opened up about why First Lady Melania Trump was never featured on the cover of Vogue—a decision Szish says was driven by politics, not fashion.
Szish, who worked under longtime Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, claimed that Wintour’s liberal political leanings played a key role in the fashion magazine’s decision to snub Melania, despite her undeniable style and grace.
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“This is not even spilling any tea,” Szish said. “But Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, she loves politics. She’s extraordinarily liberal. Even from when I was there many, many years ago, she doesn’t view the magazine really as journalism. It’s very much a point of view, and she’s in charge.”
Meghan McCain questioned why Melania, considered by many to be one of the most stylish first ladies in modern history, had never graced the cover. She noted that current First Lady Jill Biden has appeared twice and Vice President Kamala Harris once, famously in Converse sneakers.
Szish responded that Wintour’s open anti-Trump stance impacted the fashion industry more broadly. “Because of Anna’s decision to cast [Melania] off in the world of fashion, many designers refused to dress her,” she said. “They were silenced by the groupthink mentality of liberals and Democrats.”
McCain pressed further, asking whether designers might be more open in the future to dressing politically conservative women. Szish admitted that fear still dominates.
“I’ll be very honest,” she said. “I’ve talked to a lot of friends in the industry… They have said point blank, ‘Yeah, sorry, no,’ people are too scared. They won’t do it because they are too worried about their own brand, their own reputation, and the bottom line.”
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Szish praised fashion houses like Oscar de la Renta, noting that some brands have historically prioritized elegance and aesthetics over political affiliation. “It’s a bummer,” she concluded. “Melania… she’s so fashionable and she looks beautiful in clothing.
And also she is someone who isn’t originally from this country, but now she’s First Lady—and that represents an amazing, amazing trajectory.” Despite Melania’s fashion credibility, it appears political lines in the industry remain firmly drawn.
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