Melania Trump Is Auctioning Off White House Memorabilia, Including NFT & Her Hat
By Alexa Heah, 05 Jan 2022
At the end of 2021, Melania Trump announced the launch of her very own non-fungible token (NFT)—featuring a watercolor art piece of her “cobalt blue eyes” by French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon and an audio recording of the former US First Lady.
Now, Trump has unveiled an upcoming auction of White House memorabilia up for grabs, which includes a Hervé Pierre hat, another watercolor painting, and a different NFT commemorating French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the US in 2018.
The auction, aptly named The Head of State Collection, will start from the equivalent of US$250,000 in Solana cryptocurrency, with bids being accepted from January 11 to January 25.
According to Insider, the most coveted item is an “iconic wide-brimmed hat” designed by Hervé Pierre, which was designed in the same fabric to match the Michael Kors suit Trump donned during the state visit.
“It is important to note that Mr Pierre designed Mrs Trump’s inaugural gown and served as her fashion stylist and consultant during the presidency. Indeed, Mrs Trump’s iconic wide hat garnered media attention worldwide,” the auction’s statement says.
Alongside the headpiece will be the watercolor painting and accompanying NFT, created once again by Coulon, who was behind Trump’s first NFT venture. All three items for sale will be personally signed by the then-First Lady.
CNN noted that “a portion of the proceeds derived from this auction will provide foster care children with access to computer science and technology education,” though Trump’s spokesperson did not express what portion of the income generated will be donated.