Huntington Students Meet First Lady Michelle Obama . . . And Her Dress

On Tuesday morning, the Huntington High School's fashion program got a very special shout-out—from First Lady Michelle Obama.

Obama was speaking to the students at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, where she was formally presented the gown she wore to the 2009 inaugural balls to the Smithsonian's First Ladies Collection. The thirty fashion program students were the Obama's only official invitees.

"You make us proud," Obama said before a room packed with dignitaries and reporters in addition to the students. "With enough focus and determination … someone in this room could be the next Jason Wu."

The Blue Devils caught her notice when they sent her a look book full of their own ideas for what Obama might wear to the Inauguration.

The First Lady also had high praise for the students' work. "I had so much fun looking through all the designs," she told them.

Obama recounted the rush of getting dressed for the Inaugural ball in under an hour. "I wasn't really focused on what I was wearing," she said. "But I'll never forget the moment that I slipped on this beautiful gown."

Jason Wu, who designed the dress, offered his own memories of the night.

"I had no idea the design was being considered until I saw Michelle Obama step out on television," he said. "I was simply inspired by the moment."

Wu, a Taiwanese immigrant, was 26 years-old when his dress was splashed across the world. The one-shouldered, white-silk chiffon gown he created is embellished with organza flowers with Swarovski crystal centers.

"I cannot think of anywhere else where this kind of opportunity would exist," Wu said, before turning to Obama and saying "thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible support."

The students, of course, dressed to impress.  Most were in dresses with heels, though there was an occasional bowtie.

After the ceremony, the students were invited to a Q&A with  Wu and a luncheon with designer Tory Burch. The students also had an opportunity to tour the exhibit, which features 11 inaugural gowns spanning more than a century.

The exhibit "really takes us beyond the history books," Obama said. "They help us understand that history is really made by real-life people."

"I am so overwhelmed," said Alyssa Cortes, a junior, after the speech. "She's just one of the most fashionable people out there, and seeing her was amazing."

In an entry posted following the event, the  First Lady's blog also referred to the Huntington students. "Huntington students Stasa D., a senior, and Marie C., a sophomore, shared some reflections with us after the event:

We learned that motivation will make you successful and that you must believe in yourself to prosper. We are extremely thankful for being given this chance and it really was a dream come true.

Today [the First Lady] helped us become part of history by being the first high school ever invited to this ceremony and it will be recorded and remembered forever. We left behind our book of designs which has also become part of the First Ladies Resource Collection and may someday be on display. We will always remember today and the wonderful opportunities we were given. We are committed to meeting her expectations in our own lives and someday inspiring the next generation to come."

Here is another perspective on the story from the Huntington schools public information officer:
"Arriving back home late Tuesday night after a once-in-a-lifetime two-day trip to Washington, D.C., a group of 30 Huntington High School students is anxious to share details of their experience with anyone who will listen

The teenagers were invited to the nation's capital by First Lady Michelle Obama to help celebrate the donation of her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Last year the students sent Mrs. Obama inaugural gown designs they created for her. Deeply touched by the gesture and the obvious hard work that went into them, Mrs. Obama invited the group to attend what has traditionally been an extremely private and exclusive event.

In her remarks at the official ceremony, Mrs. Obama welcomed the Huntington contingent. "I have to also do my part in recognizing our very special guests, the students and the teachers from Huntington High School, who made the trip all the way from New York to be here," the First Lady said. "You all please stand so we can see you. Now, there's a special reason why I invited these students here. They sent me this book of beautifully designed inaugural gowns of their own creations, and I had so much fun looking through all the designs. You all are obviously a very talented and beautiful and handsome group of people. And I am so pleased to be able to share this special day with you. You make us proud. And thank you for the gifts."

One of the highlights of the journey came when the students were able to personally meet Mrs. Obama and pose for a group photo with her as Secret Service members looked on. The Huntington teenagers said it was "impossible to describe" the feelings generated by the experience.

"At an advanced viewing of Mrs. Obama's gown on Monday, we were really able to see why she selected Jason Wu's design," wrote Huntington senior Stasa Doscas and junior Marie Clifford for the White House website's blog. "The gown has a simple structure, but much intricate detailing. The First Lady described her gown as 'a masterpiece, simple, and elegant.' When viewing the dress up close you can see the waterfall-like train, which cascaded from her back to the floor. The color was simple but had a different effect when the crystals were added."

 Ms. Doscas is headed to the Savannah College of Art and Design and Ms. Clifford is an artist, musician and aspiring historian. The pair and the rest of the traveling party, was at times awestruck by what they encountered. "The experience has been very inspirational for us and we are honored to be part of this historic event," the two students blogged. "As we heard Mrs. Obama speak today and viewed the first ladies' gowns, we couldn't help but feel her vision and passion."

Smithsonian Museum staff members emphasized how "remarkable" it was for the Huntington group to have been invited "to witness something that none of the employees have ever been able to see," said Joan R. Fretz, district director of fine and performing arts. "They said the whole town is talking about the event. Hundreds of Americans will line up for hours on Wednesday to see what we saw the day before when the entire museum was closed. This is also the opening of the new First Lady exhibit. We were the first to enter. It's simply overwhelming to have this opportunity."

The Huntington students, along with the fashion program art teachers Amy Worth and Kristin Singer, participated in various mentoring sessions at the Smithsonian, met with Mr. Wu, as well as famous designer Tory Burch, and went on a private tour of the U.S. Capitol building.

"The museum staff was impressed by the questions the students asked and how beautifully they were dressed," Mrs. Fretz said. Huntington graduates and college fashion majors Kate Ackerman (Univ. of Delaware) and Akeem Muhammad (Fashion Institute of Technology) joined the current high school students in Washington, D.C. for the event.

"We learned through Mrs. Obama and the two designers that motivation will make you successful and that you must believe in yourself to prosper," wrote Doscas and Clifford. "We are extremely thankful for being given this chance and it really was a dream come true. Today she helped us become part of history by being the first high school ever invited to this ceremony and it will be recorded and remembered forever. We left behind our book of designs which has also become part of the First Ladies Resource Collection and may someday be on display. We will always remember today and the wonderful opportunities we were given. We are committed to meeting her expectations in our own lives and someday inspiring the next generation to come."

Obama's gown will be displayed in the center of a new gallery addition to the museum's popular exhibition, "The First Ladies at the Smithsonian." The new gallery, "A First Lady's Debut," opens to the public today, Wednesday, March 10.

For decades, the First Ladies Collection has been one of the most popular attractions at the Smithsonian Institution, according to the museum. The original first ladies exhibition of 1914 was the first display at the Smithsonian to prominently feature women. The exhibition itself has changed in size, location, style and story several times over the years.

"Today Michelle Obama continues a nearly century-long tradition that is important to American history and beloved by the public," said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. "The donation of an inaugural gown is a long-held tradition and the most visible of the objects our historians collect to document and explore the contributions of first ladies to the presidency and American society."

"When we look at the dress that Jackie Kennedy wore 50 years ago, or the one that Mary Todd Lincoln wore 100 years before that, it takes us beyond the history books and the photographs and helps us understand that history is made by talented people," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "The dress I donated today, made by Jason Wu, is a masterpiece. It's simple, it's elegant and it comes from the brilliant mind of someone who is living the American Dream."

Beginning with Mamie Eisenhower, the new gallery focuses on each first lady's public introduction during the inauguration or beginning of her husband's presidency and includes contemporary accounts of initial impressions about each woman and the role she might play in the White House. "A First Lady's Debut," features life-size photos of the 11 women who have filled the position over the past 50 years, each one wearing her displayed gown.

Together, the two galleries that make up "The First Ladies at the Smithsonian" showcase 24 dresses and more than 100 other objects, including portraits, White House china, personal possessions and related artifacts from the Smithsonian's unique collection of first ladies' materials. Among the  dresses displayed in the exhibition's first gallery are Martha Washington's silk taffeta gown, Grace Coolidge's flapper-style evening dress and Helen Taft's 1909 inaugural ball gown—the first to be presented to the Smithsonian by a first lady.

The exhibition is divided into four main sections: the evolution of the First Ladies Collection, the tradition of the inaugural gown, a first lady's contribution to the presidency and American society and the public debut of America's more recent first ladies.

"The First Ladies at the Smithsonian" exhibition gallery opened in December 2008 and was made possible by major support from Biography Channel. The new gallery, "A First Lady's Debut," has been supported by a gift from the Elizabeth Carolyn Lux Foundation.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history.

To learn more about the museum, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).