She wanted to wear Ava DuVernay’s dress to a ball. So the filmmaker sent it to her

When Ciara Hester saw a dress Ava DuVernay wore last month, she fell in love.

But she never thought she’d get to wear it.

Yet, that’s exactly what happened after the North Carolina woman tweeted a picture of the filmmaker wearing the long-sleeved, red gown.

“OMG @ava I need this dress” for the Marine Corps Ball, Hester wrote alongside the picture of DuVernay, taken at a gala for the opening of Tyler Perry Studios in October.

“Send me your address,” DuVernay responded.

Hester couldn’t believe her eyes and messaged the “Selma” director in disbelief.

“I told her my size and she said ‘I think it’s going to fit like a glove,'” Hester told CNN.

Last week, just a few days before a Marine Corps Ball Hester was planning to attend with her husband and young daughter, the dress came in the mail. She said she hurried home from work and tried it on.

Sure enough, the dress fit.

“(DuVernay) didn’t know this but before I tweeted at her I had just made a post on social media about dealing with depression,” Hester said. “This dress does really mean a lot to me.”

She said DuVernay’s actions gave her “a little bit of hope, a little bit of strength that good things do happen.”

She says she hopes others who share DuVernay’s level of fame remember how important their actions could be.

“These are people in positions that people look up to (and) it’s really important for them to remember that just a small gesture to anybody can make a huge difference. Even if they’re not realizing they’re doing it,” she said.

DuVernay saw the pictures — and shared her thoughts.

“You wore it well,” she posted on Twitter, tagging Hester. “Hope you had a night as lovely as you.”