Three-year-old Parker Curry knew exactly what she wanted to be for Halloween this year — her idol, former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Parker became a viral sensation earlier this year after a photo of her staring in awe at the first lady’s official portrait in the Smithsonian National Portrait gallery was shared by Ben Hines on Facebook , who was visiting the museum with his mother.
“Parker was in front of the portrait, and I really wanted her to turn around so I could get a picture with her, and she genuinely, honestly would not turn around,” Parker’s mother Jessica told CNN at the time. “She was uncooperative with me because she was just so focused on the portrait and studying it, and she was just so fascinated.”
So it’s no surprise that a few months later when Halloween came around, Parker drew inspiration from her idol for her costume, her mother saying the idea was “her first immediate response” when asked what she wanted to dress up as.
“We asked her a few times, ‘Are you sure?’” her mother said, speaking to CNN again the day after Halloween this year. “‘Yes, I do. I want to be Michelle Obama.’”
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Parker’s dress was a gift from Alisha Welsh, who back in March had offered to make the 3-year-old a dress to match the Milly gown the former FLOTUS was wearing in the painting. Her mother recalled Parker’s “jaw dropped” when the dress arrived on Halloween morning. Curry told CNN that when she asked Parker’s opinion of the garment, she responded “it’s perfect.”
The former first lady seemed to think so as well, sharing Parker’s picture in the gown to her Twitter account and telling her she “nailed the look.”
You nailed the look, Parker! I love it!!!! ?? https://t.co/40CArze8gT
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 1, 2018
Curry told CNN that the dress was recognized by some while Parker was trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, though she didn’t think people made the connection as to who was wearing it. She also said Parker requested to wear the gown to school the next day.
Back in March, Parker was able to meet her idol, whom her mother told CNN that Parker thought of as “a queen, and she wants to be a queen as well.”
Parker, I’m so glad I had the chance to meet you today (and for the dance party)! Keep on dreaming big for yourself…and maybe one day I’ll proudly look up at a portrait of you! pic.twitter.com/faUVTsYWun
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) March 6, 2018
“As a female and as a girl of color, it’s really important that I show her people who look like her that are doing amazing things and are making history so that she knows she can do it,” Curry said.
