Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter Dannielynn Birkhead made a bold fashion statement as she stepped out for the 150th Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky.
The 17-year-old, who has attended the famed race with her father, Larry Birkhead, every year since 2010, wore a belted red gown with dramatic layers of ruffled sleeves at the shoulders.
Dannielynn sported a feathered headpiece and styled her hair in a wavy long bob after she got a last-minute haircut, according to Birkhead, who shared photos of himself with his daughter ahead of the Kentucky Derby. The teenager wore her previously long locks down on Friday, when she and Birkhead attended the Barnstable Brown Gala.
“On the way to @kentuckyderby with Dannielynn after a great night at the Barnstable-Brown Gala and quick morning haircut or two,” Birkhead wrote in the caption of the post he shared on his and his daughter’s joint Instagram account on Saturday.
He continued, “Dannielynn’s dress was inspired by her favorite character Hino Eiji, Kamen Rider OOO TaJaDor combo -she made me write that -because that character had the same shoulders as the design of the dress she found !”
“Hey whatever works, just trying to spend a little quality time as this weekend of traditions come to a close…”
Hino Eiji is a superhero and the main protagonist of the Japanese live-action series Kamen Rider OOO. Dannielynn showed off a Hino Eji action figure in two of the photos in the carousel of images that Birkhead posted.
Birkhead wore a gray suit with a pink and black paisley tie and a red and purple pocket square.
The photographer also noted that he and his daughter were celebrating a special milestone.
“Looking forward to a fun Derby weekend with the newly graduated high school student!” Birkhead added.
The Barnstable Brown Gala, which benefits the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center at the University of Kentucky, is one of the most exclusive and star-studded Derby eve parties. Dannielynn met Jackson at the charity event in 2022 while she was wearing another outfit once owned by the legendary singer.
Dannielynn honored her mother through her style at last year’s Barnstable Brown Gala, wearing a black and white top with a print featuring photos from Smith’s 1992 GUESS campaign that she paired with pieces of her mother’s jewelry.
The Barnstable Brown Gala has special significance for Birkhead as he first met Smith at the event 21 years ago.
Smith and Birkhead met in 2003 while he was working as a freelance photographer and the former Playboy Playmate was shooting her E! reality show “The Anna Nicole Show.” Smith died in 2007 at the age of 39 when Dannielynn was just 5 months old.
In a birthday tribute to Dannielynn last September, Birkhead wrote, “You are funny, crazy smart, pretty and just about everything I could ever imagine. Your Mom would be so proud of you, I sure am.”
Taking part in the Kentucky Derby festivities is an annual tradition for Dannielynn and Birkhead. The father and daughter have attended the Kentucky Derby every year since Dannielynn was three-years-old.
Though Birkhead prefers to raise Dannielynn out of the spotlight, he told Fox News Digital attending the historic annual event is a way to honor the past and continue creating new traditions with his little girl.
“It’s kind of been a tradition that we would go every year,” he said.
“That’s where I met Anna Nicole Smith. And it’s something that I’ve taken my daughter back every year since. She’s old enough to kind of understand what it is.
“Since I did meet her mom there, it started off just kind of me taking her back and showing her around and kind of letting her know the stories that, you know, this is kind of where I met your mom and things.
“And then it came to kind of people look for my daughter there because I really don’t let her do any public events. And so, in all honesty, the Kentucky Derby is kind of the growth chart for Dannielynn.”
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