History redressed: Melania makes her mark, in a fashion, with Smithsonian gown

Her husband has described it as “OUT OF CONTROL”, a place where “everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been”.But Melania Trump, the wife of US president Donald Trump, declared a temporary ceasefire in hostilities with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington on Friday – with the help of a silk gown, diamond brooch and headless mannequin.Melania was at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to present her 2025 inaugural gown, which took its place alongside Mary Lincoln’s purple velvet ensemble, Jacqueline Kennedy’s state dinner dress and Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown in the first ladies’ collection.In contrast to her husband’s recent tirades against the world’s biggest museum complex – “WOKE IS BROKE,” he wrote on social media last August – Melania opened her remarks with a pointed statement: “The Smithsonian Museum is an important cultural jewel.”But she could not resist a plug for her critically panned documentary Melania, for which Jeff Bezos’s Amazon paid $40m. “Personally, I relish the entire design process, from start to finish,” she said, standing on stage beside the inaugural gown displayed on a mannequin. “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.”Melania wore the off-white silk crepe gown with a slit skirt, trimmed with two bands of black silk gazar, to the inaugural balls in January 2025. The gown was paired with a 1955 diamond brooch by Harry Winston, worn on a black ribbon choker. A reproduction of the brooch is now displayed at the museum.Preparation of the gravity-defying gown with designer Hervé Pierre features prominently in the documentary Melania, as does the Slovenian-born former model’s longstanding interest in fashion design.On Friday, she sported a Bottega Veneta oversized black jacket, black narrow trousers and black Christian Louboutin snake boots.Standing before a gallery that contained the original star-spangled banner, Melania observed philosophically: “Human nature resides in the discipline of detail. Everything is in the detail. This is not a dress. This is more than 50 years of education, experience and wisdom realized with each thread, each stitch, each sharp edge.”She continued: “This dress speaks with a distinct point of view – a modern silhouette, bold and dignified, and ruthlessly chic … The human condition is captured within every stitch – the idea to endure and rise above mediocrity – to reach the highest level – America’s destiny.“This black-and-white masterpiece showcases America’s pure spirit of originality, superior engineering and boundless creativity. It’s a testament as to why America’s fashion industry can lead the rest of the world.”The first ladies’ collection, established in 1912, remains one of the Smithsonian’s most popular exhibitions with about 1,000 objects ranging from inaugural gowns and other dresses to personal effects and White House ephemera.Melania is the first non-consecutive first lady to donate an inaugural gown for a second time, and only the second first lady in history to have two inaugural ball gowns represented in the collection – the last being Ida McKinley in 1897 and 1901.The Smithsonian, which operates 21 museums and a zoo, is under pressure from Trump to remove “divisive narratives” from its displays. Last month, it gave the White House documents on its planned exhibits in response to a demand to share precise details of what its museums and other programmes were doing for America’s 250th birthday. It was not clear whether the White House was satisfied.The presentation ceremony on Friday included diplomatic remarks from the Smithsonian secretary, Lonnie Bunch, and museum director, Anthea Hartig.Bunch said: “Each first lady has left their mark not just on the White House but on the nation. Each first lady reflects the time in which she served. In essence, each gown we have is a window on America.”He added: “I am extremely excited because Mrs Trump’s second inaugural gown will join this collection, and I don’t want to understate how important it is that this is really a milestone in its own right. She is the first first lady to be exhibited and represented by two inaugural gowns in the more than a hundred years of this museum. That’s really important to us.”Hartig told Melania: “You’re participating in a beautiful river of tradition more than a century old. We will care for this dress and the beautiful brooch and the beautiful ribbon as long as the Smithsonian exists. As we like to say, we’re in the forever business.”