Karoline Leavitt‘s elevated position in the Trump administration comes with an elevated wardrobe.
The 27-year-old, who interned in the first Trump White House, went on to become the youngest-ever White House press secretary in President Donald Trump‘s second non-consecutive term. A member of the president’s inner circle, she’s become known for clashing with legacy media outlets, highlighting nontraditional “new media” voices such as podcasters and influencers, and commanding the podium with unflappable confidence.
One fashion designer in particular often appears on Leavitt’s Instagram account with outfits credited in captions like “Another newsy day at the White House!”
Christopher Cuozzo, a bespoke menswear designer who recently added womenswear to his brand, has created several custom suits for Leavitt and her husband, 59-year-old real-estate developer Nicholas Riccio.
Business Insider spoke with Cuozzo in April about working with Leavitt and designing looks for one of the White House’s most visible figures.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Let’s start with how you first got connected to Karoline.
Very organically. Karoline is very friendly with the woman who designed my website. I’ve been doing custom menswear for a very long time, and rolled out custom womenswear in 2024. The woman who did my website obviously knew that from building out my website. She made the introduction, and I met with Karoline and her husband the day after Thanksgiving.
I did quite a few suits, actually, some for him, some for her. They were the nicest, nicest people. Then, when the suits were ready, I shipped them down to DC for them. They absolutely loved them, and both of them have been ordering more ever since.
What is the process of creating these pieces? Does she make certain requests for styles or colors, or are you presenting fabrics and ideas?
It’s a little bit of both. It kind of works this way for a lot of my customers. They come to me with ideas, and what I do is send pictures. What really helps, for both men and women, is to see not just a fabric swatch, but to see a full done-up suit on a model. So, I have a plethora of those photos.
I follow trends, so I have to factor what’s in. I have to factor in the season. I have to factor in the client’s complexion and hair color. And then, I also have to factor in what the client does for a living, because somebody who is an artist versus somebody who’s in media are two completely different clients.
I’ve been watching what she wears when it’s not my stuff — dresses and jackets — and she’s not afraid of color. So, I was like, “What do you think of this emerald green with gold buttons instead of a green button or black?” She was like, “Oh, my god, I love it.” So we worked very well together.
How long does it take you to make these suits?
Typically, a suit or really any garment takes about four to six weeks. Now, there’s all these things that go into it that could add a longer time. We do a lot of custom linings where we print the photos onto silk, and then that lining goes inside the suit, and that’s going to add approximately two weeks.
As you’ve been designing these suits for Karoline, have you put in any of these hidden details or custom linings?
Yes. I’m going off memory here, but I’m pretty confident we did an American flag lining in one of her suits.
It’s not always visible when you’re just looking at photos from press conferences.
I know. I’ve got to get her to flash that jacket open.
You mentioned that there’s a lot to consider when you’re designing suits for people based on their profession. What sort of considerations do you have when you’re designing suits for someone like Karoline, who is in such a public and high-pressure role?
Very good question. Classic reigns supreme, so you don’t want anything trendy. She’s a very classy woman, but she’s down-to-business, for sure. I don’t envision her wanting to do some very loud plaid suit that’s a bunch of different colors.
As I get to know her a little bit more and watch her and see what she does, I think the classics will usually win, with a twist.
When she chose red, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s my company color. It’s one of my favorite colors. It screams confidence. I was like, “Oh, yeah. This will be awesome.” I’m pretty sure that’s the one we did the American flag in.
She’s on the younger side, so she can pull off some of that stuff.
There’s a long history of ways that clothing can be used to send a message, when people in prominent positions can kind of say something without saying anything. Is that something that you or Karoline think about, what message she’s trying to convey with these choices?
I always say what you wear speaks before you do. It’s kind of a judging-a-book-by-its-cover type situation. But if somebody walks into a room and they’re wearing a suit, and that room is full of people who are wearing jeans and T-shirts, well, in my opinion, that suit is going to say, all right, this man or woman means business. This is somebody who’s important. Doors start to be held for you. Doors start to be opened for you.
How you dress and how you carry yourself says a lot. I do think about that when I’m designing suits for Karoline. It’s fun. It’s a really fun way to express oneself.
If someone were to get a custom suit from you, about how much would that cost?
Our woman’s suiting starts at $1,495. Our men’s suiting starts at $995. It goes up from there based upon quality of fabric.
Would you be able to share how much Karoline’s suits have cost?
I would love to answer all your questions, I really would, but I’m going to keep that between her and me.
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