Dinner is Served
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a State Dinner

A black gown with flowered sleeves

The Reagans greet Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa, outside the White House before a state dinner December 8, 1987. Earlier in the day, Reagan and Gorbachev signed a treaty to eliminate intermediate-range missiles. (© Ron Edmonds/AP)
The Reagans greet Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa, outside the White House before a state dinner December 8, 1987. Earlier in the day, Reagan and Gorbachev signed a treaty to eliminate intermediate-range missiles. (© Ron Edmonds/AP)
You’ll dazzle! First lady Nancy Reagan donned this floor-length, black James Galanos gown at the 1987 state dinner that honored Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev and celebrated the signing of the historic Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. (Gorbachev wore a three-piece, dark blue business suit.)