First lady Jill Biden donated her inaugural day outfits, including the coordinating face masks, to the “First Ladies Exhibition” at the Smithsonian on Wednesday. Biden said the outfits were a “voice for me on one of the most important days of my life” per The Associated Press.
During President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021, the first lady wore a blue tweed dress, overcoat and coordinating face mask designed by Alexandra O’Neill, reports the Smithsonian. Biden met O’Neill at the beginning of her career when she asked her to design an inaugural dress for her.
Biden wore an ivory overcoat and dress with a matching face mask designed by Gabriella Hearst to the White House that evening. All three pieces were embroidered with federal flowers from every state and US territory to inspired “unity” which is “needed for the road ahead,” Hearst said in a statement.
At the Smithsonian ceremony, Biden praised both designers for their work.
“Her designs seemed both timeless and new, and that was exactly what I was hoping to find, because young people showed up and voted for Joe in historic numbers, and I wanted to reflect the passion, creativity and hope that day,” the first lady said in reference to O’Neill, per AP.
Hearst shared her delight at her design being on display in the exhibit. “I have to pinch myself,” Hearst said. And in reference to Biden, “As a designer, I couldn’t think of a better muse.”
The addition of face masks in the display is unique to Biden’s inaugural look.
“They’re just pieces of small cloth,” Biden said, per the Smithsonian, “but they represent the enormity of what we all faced at the time. A pandemic that has changed our world forever. Months of closed schools and businesses. A virtual presidential campaign. So much time spent apart. But these masks also represent the moments of courage and kindness … the strength and the resilience (shown when) we vowed to rebuild and move forward.”
What is the Smithsonian’s First Ladies Collection?
As first lady, Helen Taft donated her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian in 1912. Since then, it has become tradition to do so. First ladies Jacqueline Kennedy, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Melania Trump and others have all donated their gowns to the collection, reports ABC News. The collection boasts more than 1,000 objects.
“The First Ladies” was “the first Smithsonian exhibition made by, for and about women,” said Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III during the dedication ceremony, per the Smithsonian. “This exhibit is and always has been about so much more than the gowns. … They’re here to tell a story about gender, power and public symbolism. … They tell a story about how each of these women navigated the country’s most public and unscripted job.”