The First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama, is back in news again as her Jason Wu designed ruby red gown, which she wore during her second inaugural ball, has made it to the Smithsonian Institution’s ongoing First Ladies exhibit.
Displayed at the Washington D.C.-based institution’s National Museum of American History, the floor-sweeping, glittery, slim-cut chiffon dress features a cross-halter strap neckline, decorated with tiny diamonds.
Other than the cut velvet embellished outfit, the exhibit, which documents the social and political contributions as well as the lives of America’s first ladies, also showcases dresses worn by the former US first ladies to several high-profile occasions, such as inaugural balls, state dinners and public appearances.
Among the most remarkable outfits that are on display at the museum is a 1780’s silk taffeta gown, painted with flowers, butterflies and motifs of other insects, that belonged to Martha Washington, wife of the first president of the United States, George Washington.
The exhibits also include a black striped and purple flower printed two-piece dress, worn by the wife of the 16th President Abraham Lincoln, Mary Lincoln, and a yellow silk evening gown, accented with a crepe chiffon overlay, donned by the fashion savvy spouse of President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, to the Kennedy administration’s first state dinner in honour of Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba in 1961.
Curated by the Smithsonian Curator, Lisa Kathleen Graddy, the exhibit, which is going to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the coming months, illustrates not only the personal styles of a first lady but also the official style of a presidential administration through its exclusive showcase of over 1,000 objects.
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