Melania Trump Dress News: First Lady Donates Inaugural Dress to Smithsonian Museum
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump donates one of her most precious apparels to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History today. She wore the Herve Pierre gown last Jan. 20 during the inauguration of her husband as the new U.S. President.
The donation is in keeping with a 105-year-old tradition in the U.S., where the first lady donates her inaugural dress to the museum for its "First Ladies" exhibition. The said long-standing tradition started in 1912 when then-First Lady Helen Taft enthusiastically donated to the same institution the gown that she wore during her husband's inauguration in 1909.
According to Trump's Communications Director Stephanie Grisham, the First Lady has had a passion for design since she was young, so she had a precise idea of what she wanted to wear during Donald Trump's inauguration. "She is honored to be able to donate her couture piece to such an iconic exhibit at the Smithsonian," she said.
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The gown presentation ceremony held today at D.C.'s National Museum of American History, showed Melania formally donating her white silk off-shoulder gown. She was accompanied by the designer of the gown himself, Pierre, during the event.
In a recent interview, Pierre revealed that it was Melania who personally asked him to be her date. "She asked me if I wanted to be her date, and I said, 'Oh hell, yes.' As a foreigner who became an American, to have your gown put in the Smithsonian Museum is a big huge honor. I got chills," said Pierre. He went on to reveal that on the night of Donald's inauguration, the president saw his wife in her white gown and said, "Whoa, that's really gorgeous."
Back in 2010, former First Lady Michelle Obama also donated her Jason Wu white gown to the Smithsonian Museum.
