Former first lady praises SC kids who recreated Obamas’ inauguration looks: ‘Nailed it!’
A pair of preschoolers turned heads and warmed hearts with their take on Barack and Michelle Obama’s Inauguration Day outfits.
Ryleigh Hampton and her best friend Zayden Lowe, both 4 years old, teamed up to recreate the now-iconic inauguration looks from former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. The duo posed for a photo that went viral — and even caught the attention of Michelle Obama herself.
She gave her stamp of approval Monday, writing on Twitter: “Ryleigh & Zayden, you nailed it!”
Hampton, a model from Florence, South Carolina, has a knack for recreating fashionable looks, drawing inspiration from Vice President Kamala Harris and Prince in the past, her aunt, Zoe Hampton, told NBC News.
Hampton said they jumped at the opportunity to recreate the Obamas’ outfits, which were among the most talked about looks at President Joe Biden’s inauguration last month — after Sen. Bernie Sanders and his mittens, of course.
Photos of Ryleigh, donning a plum-hued monochromatic turtleneck and trouser set, with Zayden at her side sporting a dark suit and overcoat were originally shared on Instagram and garnered nearly 26,000 likes since Saturday.
“They looked absolutely stunning,” Zoe Hampton said of the pint-sized pair, according to NBC News. “We always jokingly said ‘What if Michelle Obama actually saw this?’ but when it actually came true, we were beyond excited.”
The former FLOTUS wasn’t the only one who took notice. Rapper Cardi B and Sergio Hudson, the fashion designer behind Michelle Obama’s Inauguration Day outfit, also cheered Ryleigh and Zayden’s rendition.
Hampton said it “feels absolutely amazing” for her niece to be acknowledged by the former first lady.
“It absolutely gets no better than that. We are still in shock,” she told McClatchy News. “Ryleigh was just as excited as us! We all were so happy. It was truly a moment none of us will ever forget.”
Hampton lauded Michelle Obama as a positive role model, and called the Obamas “the perfect example of what we hope Zayden and Ryleigh are one day when they get older.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Former first lady praises SC kids who recreated Obamas’ inauguration looks: ‘Nailed it!’."