First lady Melania Trump gave a shout-out to her new hometown Friday, as she participated in a 100-year-old tradition by donating a gown to the Smithsonian.
‘The president, Barron and I love living here and we are so honored to represent this country,’ the first lady told a crowd gathered in Flag Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the museum where her inaugural ball gown will live.
In her speech, which lasted under four minutes, the first lady admitted procuring a ball gown had slipped her mind, so she made ‘poor Hervé,’ designer Hervé Pierre, work on a tight two-week deadline to craft the ‘gorgeous couture piece.’
‘She sent me first a text message and she said, “Oh, it’s Melania Trump, can I call you?”‘ the designer recalled to DailyMail.com. ‘And I was like “Ohhh.”‘
First lady Melania Trump sees her inaugural ball gown displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History for the first time on Friday
Melania Trump participated in a donation ceremony Friday at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
First lady Melania Trump (right) donated her inaugural ball gown to the Smithsonian on Friday. She wore it to three inaugural balls in January including the Salute to Our Armed Services Inaugural ball
First lady Melania Trump (left) and President Trump (right) dance at the Freedom Ball on January 20, 2017
A bow-tied President Trump (right) dances with first lady Melania Trump (left) at the Freedom Ball as part of the 45th presidential inauguration
At the Salute to Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball, first lady Melania Trump (left) danced with a member of the U.S. Marine Corps (right)
First lady Melania Trump (left) and President Trump (right) are photographed at the last ball of the night, the Salute to Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball
The two got on the phone together and the incoming first lady explained that she needed the dress in under two weeks.
‘And I said, “Absolutely,”‘ he said. ‘But of course you panic.’
Trump, on teleprompter, but speaking more freely than usual, spoke about how, because her husband was a first-time politician, she was focused on preparing for the new administration – and thus forgot about the dress.
‘To be honest, what I would wear to the inaugural ball was the last thing on my mind,’ she told the crowd, garnering laughs.
The first lady said she had never worked with the French designer before – who was seated in the front row for Friday’s donation ceremony – but had heard of his ‘stellar’ reputation.
‘I wanted someone who would be willing to collaborate with me and Herve exceeded my expectations,’ she gushed. ‘I have had a passion for design from a very young age and had a very precise idea of what I wanted for such a historic evening.’
‘When sitting down with Herve I had to discuss my vision, I expressed a desire to have modern, sleek, light, unique and unexpected,’ the first lady added.
She said she realized it would be a ‘daunting task’ for the designer, to create something that was mesmerizing ‘and will be part of our nation’s story and forever history.’
‘I was so pleased with our end result and 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.,’ she said.