Is Melania Trump’s Dior wedding dress up for auction at eBay?

A strange listing on eBay has created buzz: a dress allegedly belonging to Melania Trump, her famous Dior wedding gown, is being sold. The seller, ‘svjabc1’, insists it's the actual one she wore on her 2005 wedding day with Donald Trump and has a starting price of $45,000.

What does Melania Trump’s Dior wedding dress look like?

The description lists a gown with ‘over 500 hours of hand-sewn crystal beading’ and a ‘13-foot train’, echoing Melania’s initial John Galliano design descriptions. Differences exist, though. The seller acknowledges alterations, explaining, “Since Melania Trump was a size 0-2, I had to have this dress made a bit larger since I was a size 4-6.” Added straps, additional fabric and embroidery are noted, deviating from the original strapless design.

In addition, lack of a certificate of authenticity is questioned. WWD reports Melania’s original gown is held at Mar-a-Lago, challenging the provenance of the eBay item. Gigi Ganatra, eBay’s chief communications officer, assured that the platform does not authenticate such items, but their money–back guarantee covers it.

The seller claims the gown was twice worn: first by Melania and again at her own 2011 wedding, having bought it for $70,000. This is greeted with suspicion, especially in light of the claimed $187,000 price and 1,000 hours of work that went into Melania’s original dress, detailed in a 2005 magazine report as containing “300 feet of material” and “more than 1,500 crystal rhinestones and pearls.”

Even without confirmation, the listing has attracted enormous publicity, underlining the long-lasting interest in Melania Trump’s wedding dress. Whether it’s the real thing or a high-quality copy, the auction sends interesting signals about authenticity and celebrity memorabilia.