Jill Biden.Photo: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden on Monday kicked off a preview of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s"In America: An Anthology of Fashion"exhibition ahead of this evening’sMet Gala. Prior to taking a tour of the exhibit, Dr. Biden delivered remarks about the importance of fashion, saying “style helps us express things that can’t be put in words.”
“No matter the words we choose or the speeches we give, the world sees the totality of who we are,” Biden, 70, said. “The way we carry ourselves, how we put our shoulders back when times are hard, or offer a friendly smile even when we don’t agree. How we choose to show up for our communities—the small acts of kindness that are remembered long after they are offered.“She continued: “And that includes what we wear.”
During her remarks, Dr. Biden touched on the role that fashion plays in politics, speaking specifically about the dress she wore during her husband’s first State of the Union address — which offered asubtle nod to the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
“As the State of the Union approached, I knew the only thing that would be reported about me was what I was wearing,” Biden said. “So, I ordered sunflower appliqués—the flower of Ukraine and a symbol of hope and solidarity—and had one sewn on the cuff of my dress. It was small—but it shined against the deep cobalt-blue of my sleeve.”
Jill Biden.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty
She continued: “And that night, sitting next to the Ukrainian ambassador, I knew I was sending a message without saying a word: that Ukraine was in our hearts—and that we stood with them.”
“As we celebrate the designers and the fashion that has shaped the very identity of America, I hope it will inspire all of us to keep learning,” she said. “I hope it will help us to see the beauty and art that surrounds us every day. And most importantly, I hope it will remind us to be bold and brave.”
The 2022 theme serves as a part two to last year’s “A Lexicon of Fashion” and pays homage to the diversity of American fashion.
The official exhibit will be on display across 13 of the American period rooms in the historic museum from May 7 through Sept. 5.
Guests are being asked to interpret a"Gilded Glamour” white-tie dress codefor Monday night’s Met Gala, which will channel the time period between 1870 to 1890, according toVogue.
Dr. Biden will not be attending the evening festivities, and instead will host a celebration of Eid al-Fitr with her husband, PresidentJoe Biden.
source: people.com
