First Lady Michelle Obama capped off a splendid eight years of sartorial success at state dinners with a dazzling gown from Italy as the White House hosted Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife Agnese Landini last night.

Forgoing her general custom of wearing American designers, the First Lady wore a rose-gold chain mail dress that was specifically made for her by Atelier Versace, as the New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman reports.

She adds that, less than a week after Obama’s moving speech about sexism in the 2016 campaign, the gown was more than an aesthetic choice. “As much as it was gracefully cut and draped, it also spoke of armor and female strength, of the need to gird yourself to fight for what you believe in.”

Robin Givhan, fashion critic for The Washington Post, appreciated that Obama welcomed her Italian counterparts “by showcasing her admiration for their country’s creativity and style. By using fashion to break down borders.” Still, though, she wished that an American designer could have helped her cap off her final state dinner as First Lady.

You can see the dress in action as President Barack Obama and the First Lady welcome Renzi and Landini to the dinner.

Oh yeah … other people were there too, and they also wore clothes as they ate food prepared by Mario Batali.

The president welcomed them in a speech that quoted Italian-Americans like Yogi Berra (“It ain’t over ’til it’s over”) and pointed to the ways that America’s Democracy has been influenced by Italy, including that “some days, our presidential campaign can seem like Dante’s Inferno.”

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton performed.

My, my … how time flies.

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