Dannielynn Birkhead Wears Mom Anna Nicole Smith’s Backless Gown to the Same Gala 21 Years Later: Exclusive Details

“It was emotional because the last time I saw that dress was on Anna,” Dannielynn’s father Larry Birkhead tells PEOPLE of the dress his daughter wore to the 2025 Barnstable Brown Gala

Dannielynn Birkhead is honoring her late mom, Anna Nicole Smith.

On the eve of the 2025 Kentucky Derby, the 18-year-old daughter of Smith and Larry Birkhead attended the annual Barnstable Brown Gala in a gown that her mom wore to the same event in 2004. The floor-length black gown features a plunging neckline and crystal-embellished straps across the bodice as well as a daringly low back.

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“Dannielynn is wearing Anna Nicole’s dress that she wore 21 years ago to this same event. Life full circle,” Larry wrote in on Instagram. “She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom’s and ‘super cool.’ “

“This is the closest to a hug I can get from her,” Dannielynn told a reporter as she walked the red carpet.

Ahead of the Friday, May 2, gala, Larry, 52, told PEOPLE that while he’s had the dress “for years,” it was “emotional” seeing it on his daughter.

“It was emotional because the last time I saw that dress was on Anna,” said Larry, who met the late actress and model at the Barnstable Gala in 2003.

The photographer also recalled that when Dannielynn “was a little girl, she walked over and she put her hand on the dress.” He continued, “And now that she’s actually old enough to wear it, it just seems surreal that we’re at this moment.”