Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau rocks Toronto designs in Washington

Toronto fashion designer Lucian Matis's phone has been buzzing non-stop since Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau sported two of his dresses at the White House on Thursday. 

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"It was incredible. I cannot believe the amount of calls, the interviews and the media ... I couldn't even handle it," the Romanian-born designer told Metro Morning's Matt Galloway.

"It was so tremendous. It was just a wonderful day. It was a Lucian Matis day a the White House."

Grégoire-Trudeau, the prime minister and their three children were greeted to much fanfare Thursday as they began their an official visit to the United States, which included a state dinner at the White House.

When she and the prime minister joined U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Grégoire-Trudeau stood out in her Matis dress — a vibrant red and pink knee-length number with custom-printed with silk floral appliqués.

"It was so impactful. The colour was so vibrant. The texture and the print worked so well with the occasion," Matis said. "It was really elegant."

Matis got a call before the trip from Grégoire-Trudeau's stylist asking that he send over a collection of dresses for fitting, and he knew she'd be wearing one of his designs at the state dinner.  

But the afternoon red dress, which caught the attention of American media, was a surprise.

"She's a style icon and she's becoming more of a style icon as the time goes by. It's unbelievable. You cannot pay for something like that."

At the state dinner later that night Grégoire-Trudeau busted out her second Matis outfit of the trip — a long, flowing plum-coloured cap-sleeved gown.

​Matis wasn't the only Toronto designer in the spotlight during the official Washington visit — nor the only Canadian talent on display.

When the Trudeaus got off the plane in Washington, Grégoire-Trudeau was sporting a pantsuit by Montreal-based designer DUY and earrings by Toronto jewelry designer Dean Davidson.

At a reception in Washington hosted by Canada 2020, she was draped in a floral jacket by the Toronto-based brand EllieMae.

And she paired her state dinner Matis gown with earrings from Toronto's John De Jong Jewellery.

Both Vogue Magazine and The Washington Post commented on the former television host's ensembles, and Matis said it's great Grégoire-Trudeau is bringing international attention to Canadian designers. 

"I have been in this industry under my own label for about 10 years, and I've been saying it along that we need somebody who represents Canadian fashion, and we finally have somebody who does that beautifully," Matis said.