ROME—When Nancy Pelosi strolled out of the White House in her red power coat after meeting President Donald Trump last Tuesday, no one was prouder than Max Mara, the coat designer. The last time the so-called Fire Coat was on the market was in 2013, but the Italian designer was so impressed by the way Pelosi wore it, they’ve decided to bring it back.
“Max Mara is honored that U.S. House Representative @nancypelosi wore the #MaxMaraFireCoat to her recent historic meeting at the White House,” the Italian company wrote in an Instagram post. “A #MaxMara coat is a year on year companion, designed to last a lifetime. This boule shaped, funnel collar coat represents lasting values and projects both personal strength and glamour.”
The winter coat, which sold under the name Glamis in Italy, will be reintroduced in 2019 in a variety of colors, including Pelosi's favorite fire red. Pelosi also famously put on her Armani sunglasses when she left the oval office meeting.
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The appreciation comes on the heels of an important moment in Pelosi's bid to reclaim her position as Speaker of the House in the new Congress. When she was photographed wearing the coat, Pelosi had just held a televised meeting with President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in which Trump proudly said he would shut down the government if he didn't get funding for a border wall.
“Please don’t characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as leader of the House Democrats who just won a big victory,” Pelosi said at one point during the heated exchange.
But her fashion sense isn't all Italians love about their favorite Italian daughter. They call her “nonna Nancy” or Grandma Nancy, which is one of the most heartfelt terms of endearment a woman can earn in Italy.
Pelosi, who is active in the National American Italian Foundation, is the first Italian American woman to lead the U.S. Congress. She has been a darling to Italian diplomats ever since and frequently speaks at Italo-American events. She has met Pope Francis in Rome and was a special envoy when he visited the United States and addressed congress in 2015.
But she has never been as popular as she was this week after holding her own with Trump. Italian media outlets embraced her Italian heritage in long articles this week, with ANSA calling her a man slayer and likened her coat to Trump's skin tone.
“Nancy Pelosi the superstar takes the head of Donald Trump in the oval office,” they wrote. “With an orange-red coat that matches the American president and immediately sets a trend.”
The coat is a trendsetter even without Pelosi. It has its own Twitter account, aptly titled Nancy Pelosi's Red Coat that has not exactly gone viral, but is catching on with people posting their red coat memes, ranging from a row of Nancy Pelosi red coats lined up like Melania Trump’s Christmas trees.
—Gideon Resnick contributed to this story
Read it at https://fashionista.com/2018/12/nancy-pelosi-coat-max-mara-reissue
