Michelle Obama picks inaugural She fashion mix

WASHINGTON – Michelle Obama mixed her wardrobe choices on her first day as first lady, showing that she is indeed that modern style icon who embraces new designers as well as retail standbys, high fashion and mass market.

The white, one-shouldered gown, covered in fabric petals and dotted with beads, that she wore to the rounds of balls Tuesday night was by 26-year-old Jason Wu, a rising star in the fashion world but otherwise not well known.

"Her support means so much to designers who can't afford to advertise," said Nicole Phelps, executive editor at Style.com.

The fitted-bodice, gathered-skirt gown was a departure for Obama, who has made a sleek sheath her signature silhouette. She also has shown a fondness for jewel tones. The Isabel Toledo lemongrass-yellow ensemble she wore to the inaugural ceremony and parade was much more what the public has come to expect from Obama.

But the ball gown, worn with red-carpet-worthy dangling diamond earrings by Loree Rodkin, still felt fresh and different.

"It's soft, feminine, but powerful; I wanted to convey all that in a dress," Wu said. "I wanted it to look like a sign of hope."

Hamish Bowles, Vogue magazine's European editor-at-large, who curated the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute exhibit on Jackie Kennedy in 2001, called the gown "supreme modern elegance. A pitch-perfect choice: appropriately formal but romantic and imaginative."

Clearly President Barack Obama approved. "First of all, how good-looking is my wife?" he asked a cheering crowd just before their first dance at the Neighborhood Ball at Washington's Convention Center.

He wore a single-vent, notch-collar tuxedo with a white bow tie and an American flag pinned to its lapel.

The gown's slight train swirled pleasingly and the new first lady's shoulder-sweeping earrings picked up the gown's sparkle.

It caused a stir on the Web, as devoted fans debated whether it best suited Obama's figure — and their high expectations.

Regardless, the gown will be donated to the Smithsonian, according to tradition, the first lady's spokeswoman said. Surely it will be noted that fellow first ladies Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan also wore white inaugural gowns.

The fashion industry has anxiously looked to the election of Obama for months, embracing his wife as an ambassador, along the lines of Kennedy.

Long loved for her willingness to confidently mix high and mass fashion, Michelle Obama didn't disappoint in accessorizing her day look: green gloves by J. Crew and green patent leather pumps by Jimmy Choo.

"What's so powerful about Michelle Obama is we all see ourselves in her," said red-carpet and magazine stylist Mary Alice Stephenson. "She's a modern woman who is fashionable and even flamboyant in her style and she is still taken seriously."

Toledo, too, said she wanted her outfit to convey optimism.

"I didn't want a traditional blue or red," Toledo said. "That color has sunshine in it. I fell in love with it. So did she."

Whether or not everyone loved the looks, that message clearly came through.

"What I recognized more than anything from our new first lady and Hillary (Rodham Clinton) and everyone else is that everyone was fresh," said fashion designer Kai Milla, wife of Stevie Wonder and an invited guest to the swearing-in ceremony.



Source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obamas_fashion

The First lady wears white gown by 26-year-old designer

WASHINGTON - First lady Michelle Obama celebrated her husband's inauguration Tuesday night wearing a white chiffon, one-shoulder gown covered in fluffy appliques and beading that will now become part of fashion history.

Designed by 26-year-old Jason Wu, much loved in the fashion world but otherwise not well known, the gathered-skirt gown was surprising for its reserve given Michelle Obama's love of jewel tones and sleek silhouettes. Yet it was unconventional too, exposing her much-remarked-upon, well-toned arms.

The gown's slight train swirled pleasingly and her shoulder-sweeping earrings picked up the gown's sparkle as she and President Barack Obama danced the evening's first dance at the Neighborhood Ball at Washington's Convention Center.

"First of all, how good-looking is my wife?" the president asked a cheering crowd.

The gown will be donated to the Smithsonian, according to tradition, the first lady's spokeswoman said.

Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill dance during the Commander in Chief's Ball.

Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, wore a red strapless gown.

President Obama wore a white bow tie with a single-vent, notch-collar tuxedo and an American flag pinned to its lapel.

The fashion industry has anxiously looked to the election of President Obama for months, embracing his wife as an emblem and ambassador of modern style, who wears clothes from young designers as well as mainstream American retailers.

Earlier in the day, Michelle Obama won applause from style-watchers for the sparkling yellow sheath dress with matching coat by Cuban-born American designer Isabel Toledo that she wore to the swearing-in and parade.

The lemongrass-colored dress was applauded as a cheerful message of hope and a vote for the American fashion industry. In some light, the embellished ensemble took on a pale greenish cast, coordinating nicely with green gloves from J. Crew and Jimmy Choo green patent pumps.

The Obama daughters were style icons in their own right, with Malia, 10, in a double-breasted periwinkle-blue coat with a blue-ribbon bow at the waist, and Sasha, 7, in a pink coat with orange scarf and satin belt, a coral-colored dress peeking out at the hem. Their coats were from Crewcuts by J. Crew.

Wu, who has only shown a collection since 2006, and Toledo, who had a short stint at Anne Klein but is considered relatively avant-garde, are exactly the kinds of designer Obama gravitates toward.

"There is nothing that comes close to this moment," Toledo said, speaking in New York. "It's not just my moment and hers, but it's the world's...It's not only what she's wearing. It's what the moment represents."

Toledo said she chose the lemongrass color for the optimism it represents.

"I didn't want a traditional blue or red," she said. "That color has sunshine in it. I fell in love with it. So did she."

That unusual shade of yellow "really popped" on Michelle Obama's complexion, said fashion designer Kai Milla, wife of Stevie Wonder and an invited guest to the swearing-in ceremony.
"What I recognized more than anything from our new first lady and Hillary (Clinton) and everyone else is that everyone was fresh," she said.

The overall day-look was largely a hit.

"She's off to an auspicious start," said Hamish Bowles, Vogue magazine's European editor-at-large who curated the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute exhibit on Jackie Kennedy in 2001.

"Mrs. Obama's choice today was appropriate, dignified and elegant, but it also had a considerable element of fashion panache," he added. "She's finding great American talent."



Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28761010/

First lady's ball gown should be bold

Michelle Obama's to-do list before Jan. 20 surely is long, and somewhere on it must be choosing her inaugural wardrobe.

Whatever Michelle Obama wears first to the ceremony and then the ball celebrating her husband Barack as the 44th president, she and her outfits will instantly become two of the longest-lasting images of modern history.

And there'll be global reviews from real style insiders as well as armchair critics mere seconds after the public gets its first glimpse of the new first lady, who is already considered a fashion icon. To this day, people still talk about Jackie Kennedy and her stunning white gown with a chiffon-covered beaded bodice and her regal full-length cape.

This isn't a fashion decision to take lightly, says Bridget Foley, executive editor of W magazine and Women's Wear Daily, recommending Obama try on many looks before making her final choice.

"The dress will live in perpetuity and it will go into the Smithsonian," Foley says.

"I'd like to see Michelle Obama take the elegant route — and push it," she adds. "There are so many wonderful clothes out there but so often people in the public arena think they have to play it safe. I think she should really look around and try something long and curvy — with color. That would work."

A strong color, symbolic of a strong, confident woman, was a consistent answer as from fashion designers asked about their vision for Obama and special gown. Other suggestions:

Badgley Mischka
There should be a little beading or embroidery on her gown to fully bring the dress to life, says Mark Badgley, but it shouldn't be overdone — that would detract from Obama's modernity.

"She can bring a breath of fresh air to Washington, and she can bring a youthfulness to first-lady attire," partner James Mischka says.

They envision her in something like a turquoise gazar gown from their upcoming spring collection. It's a strapless silhouette, with guipere lace down the front and a fishtail hem.

"An inaugural gown has to be important and breathtaking," Badgley says.

Lilac and berry shades, as well as tangerine and ocean blues would all be lovely options, they say, but they'd advise her to steer clear of black. "She should look a little more `up,'" Badgley says.

As for the Obamas' daughters Malia and Sasha, the designers say their outfits should reflect their ages — 10 and 7, respectively, and not be too glamorous. Ruffles would be good, and so would a color that coordinated with their mothers' choice, Mischka says.

Tracy Reese
Reese says she met Obama at a fundraiser and was impressed with the way she carried herself — and her clothes. "She'd look awesome in something shapely and fitted," Reese says.

"I'd serve up something with color, a nicely fitted bodice and some ease through the skirt so she could be comfortable but be feminine."

Obama successfully achieves the balance of wearability and style on a regular basis, Reese says. "She likes fashion but her day is long, so her time for clothes is short."

Whatever Michelle Obama wears first to the ceremony and then the ball celebrating her husband Barack as the 44th president, she and her outfits will instantly become two of the longest-lasting images of modern history.

J.Crew
No one was as surprised as Jenna Lyons, creative director, when Obama appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in an outfit that Obama declared was purchased online from J.Crew.

Other than pride, Lyons says that experience gave her the feeling that Obama would bring to the White House the sensibility of a modern working mother.

As for a gown, Lyons would like to think that J.Crew could be a contender.

"We do chinos and T-shirts but we also do bridal so we understand about the big day ... and this is the biggest coming out party in the history of the world," Lyons says, noting she's already called the brand's best fabric vendors seeking swatches.

"I'd go with something simple, elegant, colorful — something to play up her strong shoulders and beautiful skin."

Zac Posen
Posen created a Web site ahead of the election called Fashion the Vote, encouraging voters to dress up when they went to the polls.

He'd turn up the volume even more for the first lady in a bright color and harness "the power of shape and structure."

Anna Sui
Sui, a favorite with young party girls, suggests an hourglass, A-line cocktail dress from her spring runway. It has a white background with a sophisticated, graphic floral print in black and white.

It "runs the gamut from trendy to conservative," Sui says in an e-mail, but it's also a youthful cocktail length.

Best & Co.
Catherine Moellering, president of childrenswear label Best & Co., says she'd take cues from their mother in dressing Malia and Sasha in styles that can be worn on multiple occasions and still always hit the appropriate note.

For Malia, she advises separates — perhaps a bubble skirt and cashmere twin-set sweater. "It's a little more chic, and you don't feel like you're in the dress your little sister is wearing," Moellering says.

She sees the girls wearing jewel-tone blues. The color and fabric, maybe taffeta, would make them coordinated but they shouldn't match.

Of course Sasha's dress needs a high twirl factor. "She's just going to capture everyone's heart. She should look like a princess with a bow and petticoats," Moellering says.

"If you look at the way Michelle dresses, she developed her sense of style early on and I think it will be the same for these girls."

Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27649596/