<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2021/09/14/red-white-and-blue-fashion-at-the-2021-met-gala-stars-who-stuck-to-all-american-theme/" target="_blank">The Metropolitan Museum’s annual Costume Institute exhibition</a> preview was opened on Monday by US first lady Dr Jill Biden. This year’s event carries the title: In America: An Anthology of Fashion. "No matter the words we choose or the speeches we give, the world sees the totality of who we are,” said Dr Biden. "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. "And that includes what we wear." Dr Biden used her speech to advocate for the political power of fashion. It comes before her humanitarian tour to Romania and Slovakia in support of Ukrainian refugees displaced by the Russian invasion. The invasion began on February 24, days before US President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address. “A few months ago, as the president was preparing for <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2022/03/01/state-of-the-union-biden-tackles-division-at-home-and-war-overseas/" target="_blank">the State of the Union address</a>, my mind was a world away," Dr Biden said. "Like so many Americans, I was transfixed on the news of Ukraine, the bombings and the parents weeping over children’s broken bodies on the streets." Dr Biden arrived with fashion legend and <i>Vogue</i> editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. She told the crowd that as the speech approached, she knew that there would be little said about her except for what she wore. “So I ordered sunflower appliques — the flower of Ukraine — as a symbol of hope and solidarity, and had it sewn on the cuff of my dress," Dr Biden said. "It was small but shined against the deep cobalt blue of my sleeve. That night, sitting next to the Ukrainian ambassador, I knew that I was sending a message without saying a word.” Wintour then gave her a private tour of the exhibition, which aims to champion well-known and rising designers, and those who made important contributions to US fashion, especially female and black designers. Dr Biden then flew back to Washington where <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2022/05/02/president-joe-biden-hosts-eid-al-fitr-reception-at-white-house/" target="_blank">she helped to host a White House reception for Eid Al Fitr</a>, wearing the same dress.