US First Lady Melania Trump donates her white and black trimmed inaugural ball gown
Melania Trump stood in Washington D.C. on Friday and watched as her 2025 inaugural gown took its place in history.
At a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the first lady said she was “proud” to see the black and white gown officially join the First Lady’s Exhibit. Smiling as she looked at the dress displayed in its case, she called the moment unforgettable.
“It’s incredible. It’s a historic moment,” Melania said.
The gown, designed by her longtime collaborator Herve Pierre, features a white base with a black ribbon winding around it. Along with the dress, Melania donated a replica of the Harry Winston diamond broach she wore to three inaugural balls last January.
For first lady, the gown represents more than just a fashion choice.
“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.”
The design process was featured in her self titled documentary, which showed fittings with Pierre and her involvement in shaping the look. She pointed to those scenes as proof of how deeply invested she is in the creative process.
“It takes time, it’s slow, but the end result is always magical. If you had a chance to see my new film, MELANIA, you are well aware of what it took to bring this technical marvel to life.”
She also described fashion as “self care,” saying, “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.”
The dress immediately went on display alongside gowns worn by other first ladies, including Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton. Several governors’ spouses, who were in Washington for the annual governors meeting, attended the event.
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III praised the addition, noting, “In many ways, the First Lady’s collection is as much a timeline of American history as it is a look in fashion.”
This marks the second inaugural gown Melania has donated to the museum. She previously gave the cream colored off shoulder gown with red trim that she wore in 2017.
Melania is now the only first lady to have ballgowns from two non consecutive terms included in the Smithsonian collection. Francis Cleveland also served non consecutive terms in the mid 1800s, though the exhibit did not yet exist at that time.