A Name to Remember: Jason Wu
Monday, December 1, 2008 at 2:27 PM 
Image used with kind permission from Jason Wu
Mrs. O has introduced a new name into her sartorial repertoire: Jason Wu. For her interview with Barbara Walters last Wednesday, Mrs. O wore an ivory raw-silk dress with hand-embroidered rosettes from the designer's Spring/Summer 2009 collection. In review of the collection, Style.com said this of Mrs. O's selection: "For the money, a fits-like-a-glove black-on-white floral tapestry sheath was a standout." All The Rage informs us that Mrs. O first became acquainted with Wu's line thanks to the discerning eye of Vogue Editor at Large, Andre Leon Talley. Mrs. O subsequently purchased four dresses from the designer's Spring Summer 2009 collection.
Update: While this account may very well be true, Heard on the Runway informs us that this particular Jason Wu design was purchased through Chicago's Ikram boutique per a special and top-secret request from owner Ikram Goldman. Check out the blog's latest post, featuring an in-depth profile on the dress and exclusive quotes from the designer.
We first became aware of Wu earlier this year when one of our favorite guilty indulgences, Teen Vogue, featured the designer in a DIY profile. The project was inspired by the hand-painted black and white print dress from Wu's Spring 2008 collection. At only 26, the Taipei native (by way of Vancouver, Tokyo, Paris and New York) is a young designer on the rise, continually praised for his ladylike designs and outstanding craftsmanship well beyond his years.
Another Mrs. O link - after enrolling at the Parsons School of Design, Wu interned with designer Narciso Rodriguez. This summer he was named a finalist for the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Prize. In his official bio, the designer's ethos is described as this: "Harking back to the days when women were always polished and styled to perfection, the Jason Wu collection aims to revitalize the art and perfection of dressing with a relaxed and youthful attitude." It's no wonder Mrs. O has taken such a liking to his designs.
Reader Comments (21)
I am just amazaed at how in the fashion know Mrs O is.
Jason Wu is not a household name - and yet here she is wearing him. Mrs O is going to do so much for so many designers who are not yet known outside of the fashion world. So cool.
Thanks for listing the designer. I would have never guessed Jason Wu. As the previous commenter noted, that is not a household name. I'm just glad she's an "out of the box" thinker. I would hate to see her resign herself to Oscar as previous First Ladies default to him.
okay, im VERY subjective when it comes to Mrs. O, and I love her and her fabulous sense of style, so im going to need an objective voice to verify,
but is it me or does Mrs O soooo wear this dress A LOT MORE BETTER than the model?!?!
the dress looks so much better on Mrs O. than on this beautiful model walking it down the runway
anyways, my opinion
ps: I would love to see Mrs. O in Tracy Reese, she's a great designer, another up and coming!
To the commenter above me, I agree!
I do think Michelle made this dress look quite grown up and womanly. She is curvaceous and tall which made a very simple shape become much sexier. The model makes it look someone school-girlish.
Also, when she first joined Barack and Barbara Walters, and she stood up and showed the entire dress, is it just me or was it a bit snugger around the bottom, than it appears in this picture of the model? I just rewatched the clip on Youtube and I do think she may have had it altered slightly to become a bit more body hugging, though it wasn't at all tight.
Anyway, it was a great look for her.
I think she wore this dress very well, but I wonder why in the world she ALWAYS wears sleeveless. Don't get me wrong - she has pretty arms, but it's December. Makes me cold to look at her.
Lisa,
Not always! Among my favorite Michelle looks is the blue-green long-sleeved dress she wore for her speech at the Democratic convention. And that amazing red dress she wore to the White House a few weeks ago. And when she was out campaigning she almost always wore cardigans over her dresses and sometimes suits. So I think you are getting that impression from a few of her high-profile interviews (the view, 60 minutes, barbara walters) and some of the election night dresses like the purple sheath she wore in St. Paul at the end of the primaries.
That said, yes she really does love baring her arms. I think she works really hard to keep them toned and wants to show off!
I am beaming at the fact that Michelle Obama not only put Jason Wu on the map, but that she put such a great Chicago boutique at the forefront. I've been in Ikram only a few times but I lose my breath every time I enter this eponymous boutique. The selection is to DIE FOR, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is Ikram Goldman herself who suggests these designers for Mrs. Obama to wear. Mrs. Goldman and her staff are definitely the secret weapons for many of Chicago's best-dressed!
I agree Michelle wore the dress like it was made for her.
Ooo, I'm excited to hear Jason Wu is from Taipei. My mother and that entire side of the family is from there, and it's a great city in a great country, clearly making great stuff! ;D
Kristan
http://jbu.phuzzymath.net/
I really like that Mrs. O uses American designers. And sometimes, relatively unknown ones.
Thanks Mrs T. I really liked what I saw from his Spring Collection. I am interested to see the other dresses that Mrs. O chose.
I agree that Mrs. O wore this dress better than the model, but it still wasn't my favorite. The floral seemed too small and ditsy for her. The red Thakoon dress suited her much better. But she looks amazing in everything.
All right, obviously it's just me, but don't you think it's a bit weird for her to wear a spring/summer dress in the fall/almost-winter? It made me cold just to look at her! I mean, even here in Houston where I live and where it's mild most of the winter months, sleeveless dresses aren't worn unless they are evening wear -- and even those are rare. Other than that, it's a gorgeous dress and she looks wonderful. Great designer.
@ Layo G.
I don't believe Mrs Obama delibrately had this dress altered to fit more snugly around her derriere. That sounds really tacky and not at all the sort of act this classy lady would engage in. The simple truth is she has a womanly shape with curved hips, the model is very thin and like many models the clothing "hangs" loosely. Models are in reality "clotheshangers" showing off designer wear. On a normal sized woman the clothes will fit and flare in all the right places. It is a shift and was probably altered to fit her better and skim her body shape. Unless she wears a sack, her curves would be hard to hide and why should she hide them? But delibrately ensuring it fits tight around her lower half? I for one find this completely unlikely.
@ Layo G.
I don't believe Mrs Obama delibrately had this dress altered to fit more snugly around her derriere. That sounds really tacky and not at all the sort of act this classy lady would engage in. The simple truth is she has a womanly shape with curved hips, the model is very thin and like many models the clothing "hangs" loosely. Models are in reality "clotheshangers" showing off designer wear. On a normal sized woman the clothes will fit and flare in all the right places. It is a shift and was probably altered to fit her better and skim her body shape. Unless she wears a sack, her curves would be hard to hide and why should she hide them? But delibrately ensuring it fits tight around her lower half? I for one find this completely unlikely.
Mrs. O. has to use American designers. She could probably only perhaps go foreign on certain state visits, e.g. France. Fortunately, she's got her pick at her disposal.
The only print that I liked on Mrs. Obama was the black/white sundress that she wore on The View. I didn't like the red print with the back sash nor did I like the red/black number Election Night!
I love the simple classic lines that she selects from Maria Pinto of Chicago.
I think the thing with the prints is that they should be big and bold.
This Lady can wear white and look absolutely smashing....the Legend's Ball with the upsweep hairdo...gorgeous!
Generally: pick your prints carefully and don't put a sash on the booty! Mrs. Obama is one gorgeous lady!
As a 50-something female professional, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see someone in the political spotlight - like Michelle Obama - depart from the oh-so-tired St. John matchy-suits. She's clearly her own person as reflected in her impeccable sense of style. How thrilling to give these young and talented designers their due. It's all positive and forward looking - just what we need. And regarding Michelle's frequent bare arms/sleeveless frocks - if I had such toned and sculpted arms, I'd do the same. To me, it's one more point of admiration that she's her own person, and it's a look that conveys her fitness and energy for a tough job ahead. Love your site, Mrs. T.
I LOVE THE YELLOW DRESS MARC JACOBS DESIGNED FOR MRS O. FOR THE INAUGURATION (i think yellow looks great on her, like the J crew ensemble she wore on J Leno)
The one DVF sketched for her looks nice too
check out what other big name designers designed for her:
http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/dressing-the-first-lady-1875632#/
The interesting and heartening thing is that Jason Wu, Isabel Toledo, Maria Pinto, and Narciso Rodriguez may sound like foreigners, but they are, in fact, American designers, no matter where they were born. Michelle Obama's wardrobe is one more piece of evidence of what a highly-diverse melting pot this country is. After all, who would ever have anticipated that someone named "Barack Obama" would end up as President?
I liked this Wu dress (I love sheaths in general), but I did think it rather inappropriate for a late fall interview. It's a spring dress. Perhaps we'll see it again.
Michelle Obama has a sexy body, knows it, and rocks it. BUT the sleeveless
look in the middle of winter is ridiculous. I think she looks totally inappropriate,-- pretty as she is, with the bare arm thing in the middle of winter. OK already Michelle, we love you, and you have
toned arms. Now cover them up until spring.....