Melania Trump said she was “proud” to have her inaugural gown join the first lady’s exhibit at the Smithsonian, describing her black and white ballgown as modern, bold, simple, and dignified.
“This is not a dress,” she said. “This is more than 50 years of education, experience and wisdom realized with each thread, each stitch, each sharp edge.”
Her longtime fashion collaborator Herve Pierre designed the white dress, with a black ribbon winding around it. Also donated was a replica of the historic Harry Winston diamond broach the first lady wore to the three inaugural balls last January.
The dress was a plot point in Trump’s self-titled documentary, where she had fittings with Pierre and consulted on its design and fit.
The first lady noted the dress’s part in her film and said: “We must take pride, not only in the small rituals of self care, but in the courageous act of self expression. Our outward appearance to the world, the art of presenting oneself can be cultivated over a lifetime.”
Several governors’ spouses – in Washington DC for the annual governors meeting – joined Trump at the event.
The dress will go on display immediately in the First Lady’s Exhibit at the Museum of National History, joining dresses from other first ladies, including Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.
“In many ways, the First Lady’s collection is as much a timeline of American history as it is a look in fashion,” noted Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III in his remarks.
This is the second inaugural gown that Melania Trump has donated to the museum. She previously donated the cream colored, off-shoulder gown with red trim around the waist that she wore in 2017.
