Mindy Kaling's White House Attire Included a Vibrant Purple Minidress and Matching Pumps

Mindy Kaling may have traded The Office for the Oval Office during a recent visit to the White House, but that didn’t stop her from taking inspiration from Kelly Kapoor’s vibrant style in the form of a bright purple minidress (and matching sky-high pumps) when accepting a major award.

On Tuesday, the multi-hyphenate was honored with a National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden for her “work across television, film, and books,” according to a press release. For the occasion, Kaling ushered in major spring vibes by sporting a short-sleeved lavender minidress paired with coordinating lilac heels and a Cartier watch. Silver jewelry, a purple-and-gold clutch, and (of course) her medal — complete with a matching purple ribbon — accessorized the outfit, and Mindy wore her chin-length bob styled in a deep side part with flipped-in ends.

B.J. Novak, the actress’s longtime friend and former flame (both on- and off-screen), also attended the event, where he was spotted giving the star a standing ovation in a black suit and tie. Other celebrity honorees included Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bruce Springsteen, and Vera Wang.

After taking time to reflect on the award, Kaling shared some behind-the-scenes photos from the ceremony on Wednesday while thanking The National Endowment for the Arts for the honor.

“Yesterday, I went with my family to receive the medal at the White House,” Kaling captioned the Instagram photo dump. “To hear the President speak about my parents, their journey to the United States, my late mother’s dreams for me, and the power of comedy to make people understand each other was almost too much to take in. It didn’t feel real!”

She continued, “I promise to spend the rest of my life earning this medal because I don’t feel like I’ve earned it yet. I wish my mom could have been there, but what are you gonna do. Nothing is perfect, but yesterday was pretty close.”