Ryleigh Madison Hampton and Zayden Lowe from Florence, South Carolina, had the internet in awe of a fun set of photos of the two 4-year-old friends recreating the beloved looks of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Michelle herself touted the photos of the young pair on Twitter, racking up more than 250,000 likes in just one day.
Ryleigh & Zayden, you nailed it! ????????
????: its_allry on IG pic.twitter.com/82jMswh3Lk
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) February 1, 2021
Hampton is dressed in a burgundy suit similar to the one Michelle wore during the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Lowe was dressed to look like Barack.
"We absolutely loved the Obamas' look for the inauguration. We are so happy we were able to recreate such an iconic look and to have Michelle and Barack Obama be such great role models for Zayden and Ryleigh," Zoe Hampton, Ryleigh's aunt, said according to The Hill.
Like many Americans watching the inauguration last month, family members of both Hampton and Lowe were in awe of Michelle's widely praised outfit.
"They looked absolutely stunning. Ryleigh had recently re-created some looks from Kamala Harris and Prince, and we knew once we saw Michelle and Barack step out that we could not pass up the opportunity to re-create it," Zoe later told NBC News, adding that little girl's grandmother quickly created a mini version of Michelle's outfit after seeing it.
"We always jokingly said 'What if Michelle Obama actually saw this?' but when it actually came true, we were beyond excited. It truly doesn’t get any better than that," the happy aunt said about Michelle's tweet featuring their photos.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Ryleigh's grandmother Sheila Hampton lauded Michelle's outfit.
"It had been a while since Michelle Obama had been in the public eye, so when we saw her and her outfit we literally gasped," Sheila said.
Sheila had to search on Amazon for a belt that resembled the one Michelle wore, and she said she was able to find one somewhat similar and touched it up using some paint.
"It's an honor to have Michelle Obama post their pictures because she is someone worthy of Ryleigh looking up to and we believe representation matters to children," Sheila said.
She went on to say that Ryleigh loves the photoshoots they do and was particularly enthralled by Michelle's outfit.
"Although at this age I think Ryleigh is caught up in how cute the clothes are and how cool it is to do a photoshoot with her best friend, I hope as she gets older she realizes the deeper meaning of the photo. The Obamas are amazing role models, and I hope she aspires to be a strong and confident African American woman just like Michelle Obama. This is why representation matters. I hope both her and Zayden realize they can be anything they want to be!" Zoe said.
The photos were taken outside of the Florence County Library, NBC News reported.
Meredith Koop, Michelle's stylist, explained on Instagram that the ensemble was put together by fashion designer Sergio Hudson and is actually two separate pieces.
"What I want to convey most, though, is that this particular outfit is about the woman wearing it more than anything. It is about her and what she means to you and to America. She is powerful and she needs to move. She is stunning and she represents what is possible," Koop wrote.
"She is relatable and she is aspirational. She has consistently articulated over the years what has been in the hearts and minds of so many. She has taken a look at the rule book and turned the page. She leads, she inspires, she slays," Koop added.
