The 112th annual First Ladies Luncheon is an event held by the First Lady of The United States in collaboration with The Congressional Club.

The First Lady and congressional spouses come together and raise awareness for a bill of the First Lady’s choice. This year’s bill was, The Take It Down Act, the bill targets the misuse of AI especially by the younger generations.

I got the opportunity to attend the luncheon in Washington D.C. during spring break this year, and it was nothing short of breathtaking. When I first arrived, I was met with hundreds of women co-mingling before they made their way to their seats.

Being in a room with these women; I was blown away by the impressive fashion. I would describe the fashion as a hybrid of Easter Sunday and the Kentucky Derby. Most women were in cocktail length dresses. Florals were popular and the most important outfit of the evening was Melania Trump’s. She wore a cream suit to match the floral arrangements on the table.

The event itself opened with the introduction of the women who put the event together. Jane Mvron was the chair of the event, and she is the wife of an Indiana Congressman. It was so fun to see Indiana represented in such a large space. She gave her remarks and expressed her gratitude towards Mrs. Trump for letting her chair this event. She was followed by Usha Vance, the Second Lady of The United States. Usha relayed the importance of this event and the importance of women staking themselves in a male- dominated society. After Usha, Melania came on stage. She discussed the Take It Down Act. The Take It Down Act targets the misuse of AI by teenagers. The bill makes it unlawful for a person to knowingly publish or threaten to publish NC II on social media and other online platforms. She finished her speech by saying women are woven with threads of belonging, empathy and collaboration.

After speeches, we had lunch. Since chairwoman Mvron is from Indiana, all the food had ties back to Indiana. We started with a corn gazpacho, then had chicken with a bed of microgreens, and finished with sugar cream pie and coffee.

This event may seem silly with frilly dresses, flowers and fun hats. But the women in the room excelled in fields of science, math and medicine. They are accomplished and have an impact on society while also embracing femininity.