by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
“This gown is the height of fashion – something that pleases us aesthetically with its beauty and craftsmanship and elegance,” said David Skorton, Secretary of the Smithsonian at a ceremony in the atrium of the National Museum of American History where First Lady Melania Trump was donating the gown she wore to the Inaugural Balls earlier this year. Skorton and Museum director John Gray were on hand to accept the donation alone with Hervé Pierre, the designer that Mrs. Trump worked with to create the dress.
John Gray, Hervé Pierre, First Lady Melania Trump, Dr. David Skorton
Skorton said that the museum is a collection designed for “telling America’s story” and that this includes those stories “both famous and obscure” to give context to the events of our nation and that charting the history of our First Ladies, from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama, has been a big part of that. The collection includes fashion items from many of the First Ladies and now the vanilla colored silk gown that Mrs. Trump wore at the Inauguration of her husband will join the collection to represent her participation in a tradition that leads back to Helen Taft, but also as a symbol, as Skorton put it, the dress is “emblematic of the peaceful transition of power” as one administration flowed into the next.
Hervé Pierre and First Lady Melania Trump
Mrs. Trump called it an honor to be part of this tradition and credited designer Hervé Pierre for the beauty of the gown, noting “by the time I got around to thinking about my wardrobe choice, poor Hervé was only given two weeks to design and produce this couture piece.” Mrs. Trump wanted to collaborate with someone rather than just send out for a dress and so she put her own design passion to work by sitting down with Pierre to create something “modern, sleek, light, unique and unexpected.” Mrs. Trump called the task daunting to select an outfit when you know it will become part of American history ultimately, but that working with Pierre she was able to execute on that vision.
First Lady Melania Trump and Secretary of the Smithsonian David J. Skorton
The First Lady put it quite clearly when speaking about the chance to add her dress into the museum: “It is now my hope that this piece is one of the many great beginnings to our family’s history here in Washington, D.C.”
See the full donation ceremony here:
