First Lady Melania Trump has donated her inaugural ball gown to the First Ladies’ Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
The first lady handed over the vanilla silk, off-the-shoulder gown during a ceremony on Friday in Washington, DC.
The gown also featured a slit skirt, ruffled accent trim from the neckline to the hem and a claret ribbon around the waist.
Today @FLOTUS donated her 2017 inaugural ball gown to the "First Ladies" exhibition at our @amhistorymuseum https://t.co/oPz4ThOg7D pic.twitter.com/WM5N5MKNED
— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) October 20, 2017
Trump worked with designer Herve Pierre on the gown, who also attended the event at the National Museum of American History.
Melania Trump gave a speech to the press,
“To be honest what I would wear to the Inaugural Ball was the last thing on my mind. In fact, by the time I got around to thinking about my wardrobe choice, poor Herve was only given two weeks to design and produce this couture piece. We had never worked together before but I knew of his stellar reputation and wanted to work with someone who would do more than just design a dress. I wanted someone who would be willing to collaborate with me and Herve exceeded my expectations.”
The Smithsonian says the First Ladies Collection has been one of its most popular attractions for more than a century.
“I was so pleased to see our end result and it is now my hope that this piece is one of the many great beginnings to our family’s history here in Washington, DC. The president, Barron and I love living here and we are so honored to represent this country,” said Melania. “I’m so honored and grateful to become part of this history and thank you all for being here with me today. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.”
Trump’s gown will be added to the exhibit that features 26 dresses, including some worn by Jacqueline Kennedy, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama, along with other items.
She joins a long tradition of first ladies who've donated their inaugural gowns. How did that tradition get started? https://t.co/oPz4ThOg7D pic.twitter.com/mo7EifYB1C
— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) October 20, 2017
Associated Press