Today Michelle Obama continued a long tradition of first lady’s by donating her gorgeous Jason Wu inauguration gown to the Smithsonian National Museum of History.

Jason Wu attended the ceremony and proudly watched as his beaded ivory, one-shoulder creation was inducted into a new gallery called “A First Lady’s Debut,” which showcases 11 dresses worn by first ladies from Mamie Eisenhower to the present. “I felt like I’ve known her for years,” he said. “Dressing a woman is one of the ultimate connections.”

Michelle Obama said that she’ll always cherish the moment she slipped into her inaugural ball gown for her first spin on the dance floor as first lady. “When I look at my gown—which I, in fact, have not seen since the day that I took it off—memories of that moment truly come rushing back,” Mrs. Obama said in her speech. “I remember how just luscious I felt as the President and I were announced onto the stage for the first of many dances.”

The First Lady then turned to thank the designer. “This gown is a masterpiece. It is simple, it’s elegant, and it comes from this brilliant young mind,” continued Mrs. Obama.  “Today is about much more than this gown. It’s also about how, with enough focus and with enough determination, someone in this room could be the next Jason Wu.”

All first ladies since 1912 have contributed to the collection, though not all first ladies part with their inaugural gowns. Mrs. Obama’s donation has added significance since hers is the first gown worn by a first lady of color. The new gallery will feature a total of 10 inaugural dresses.

Wu’s inspiration for the gown was simple: the First Lady herself. “I was going for pure and I wanted the dress to come naturally. My inspiration was Michelle and the moment, but I didn’t want to study too much into it.”

When he saw dress on TV on inauguration night, he was excited and “shell shocked” but didn’t think about the historical significance. “It really dawned on me today that the dress will outlive me,” he said.

For the big event Michelle Obama didn’t wear Jason Wu, but opted for another up-and-coming designer (and one of my personal favorites): Prabal Gurung.

“My dream right now would be for Michelle Obama to wear one of my dresses,” Prabal told Glamour before New York Fashion Week. “She embodies what it is to be a modern American woman in every possible way–smart, educated, confident enough to just let her husband be in the forefront yet still command her own attention. That would be my dream.”

Hollywood has embraced Prabal Gurung with stars such as Demi Moore, Leighton Meester, Thandie Newton, and Ashley Greene all donning delectable his creations to red carpet events. I knew it was just a matter of time before more A-Listers succumbed to his brilliant talents and now Prabal has achieved fashion euphoria.

Congratulations!