What Lies Ahead: Hope for the Fashion Industry?
Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 6:34 PM 
Image used with kind permission from Glennia Campbell and Momocrats
Can Mrs. O revive a flagging fashion industry? Certainly, the hopes of American designers, merchandisers, and fashion journalists are riding high on the possibility. With Macy's closing 11 stores in nine states and with various established designers (Vera Wang, Carmen Marc Valvo, Betsey Johnson) pulling out of the Bryant Park fashion tents in February's New York Fashion Week, there is no doubt that fashion is flagging.
"Michelle Obama is already incredibly influential," Sally Singer, Vogue's Fashion News Director, tells us. "There is an immediate buzz in the fashion world. She motivates people to think about wearing something that looks beautiful, regardless of the price point." For the fashion industry, it might be coming just in the nick of time.
Last Thursday, Chicago shoppers lined up in the sub-freezing temperatures, waiting for the doors to open at the Maria Pinto boutique. It was the first sample sale there since the election and the occasion brought both established Pinto customers as well as many newcomers who wanted to purchase part of a brand made famous by Mrs. O. Sales ranged from $25 suede bustiers to $75 casual wraps to $500 party dresses.
Coincidentally, the same day the New York Times ran a story titled, "U.S. Fashion's One-Woman Bailout?," which discussed Mrs. O's penchant for high-low dressing and her ability to create shopping frenzies (both the $148 White House/Black Market black print dress from The View and her Tonight Show J. Crew yellow cardigan sweater and silk printed blouse and skirt sold out in less than 48 hours after she appeared in them).
"With flashcard clarity [during the campaign], she signaled an interest both in looking stylish and also in advancing the cause of American fashion and those who design and make it," wrote NYT writer Guy Trebay. The article praised her fit, athletic figure, her sense of making clothes work for her needs, and, according to one subject interviewed, "her very conservative, jock-preppy....safe American WASP way of dressing." Hmm, we would beg to differ a bit on that last point.
Yes, the J. Crew outfits she wore in southern states during the campaign (printed cotton skirts with matching T-shirts and cardigans) could fall into a preppy category. And yes, her puffer coat (which she just wore again Saturday night when the family visited the Lincoln Memorial) could be described as somewhat jock-athletic. But who would call the black and red Narcisco Rodriguez Election Night dress "safe"? Or by what stretch would the clothes she wore at the Democratic Convention (Thakoon, Moschino, Peter Soronen) be considered "conservative"?
One of Mrs. O's most intriguing style approaches is her ability to mix up her look-wearing flats with sheaths, tossing shrunken cardigans over beaded dresses, using jewelry in unexpected ways. All of that is a major break with the fashion sense of past First Ladies and other public women, whom we have been used to seeing in complete matching ensembles off the designer rack. In the photo shown at the top, taken in October 2008, we see Mrs. O in a look that is beautiful yet unusual for her: wearing a black-on-black fitted suit jacket and top. The buttons on both the jacket and the top are the same fade-to-black color as the fabric. Even the necklace (we wonder if it is oxidized sterling silver beads by jewelry designer Tom Binns-perhaps part of his Couture Tough Chic collection?) falls into the same color family, offering tonal sheen to this dark outfit. It is one more new spin on a standard look from Mrs. O.
With her fresh approach to clothes, maybe she shouldn't worry about the hopes of the fashion industry. Maybe she just needs to keep dressing for herself. And the rest will follow.
Reader Comments (16)
i saw a photo of Mrs.O in Town and
Country in a white/grey/black striped suit that I surprisingly did not see on your fabulous site!
JO - thanks for the tip! Was it a recent issue? If so, we'll look into featuring it.
Is this what you are refering to? http://z.about.com/d/petite/1/0/A/4/-/-/michelleobamastripeddress.jpg
Wow - does she look modern and chic in that ensemble or what ?
This woman has style and knows how to use it.
in my opinion it is obvious how (and why) her style have changed/evolved. she used to look quite heavy in fitted suits, that is why all this "informal outfits" arrived-in order to give her more fresh look. she looks younger, girlish and more energetic in all this dresses, cardigans, 3/4 trousers
That is alot of pressure to put on one person.
I like the way the jewelry is layered in this picture. I'd say we'd have to see more photos pre-campaign before making judgement calls about the "evolution" of Mrs. Obama's style. Other media outlets covered the Obamas before the "mainstream" media so some readers may have only seen a small glimpse of Mrs. Obama.
@Lisa-your assessment about pressure is right on. I'm confident Mrs. Obama will handle it with grace.
Mrs. O. does wonders for all of us who love COLOR! She knows how to put it together. The purple dress, and necklace, she wore for the 60 Minutes Interview in November was just perfect. Purple is in! And red looks wonderful on her. Thank you, Michelle Obama, for bringing good, contemporary taste and COLOR back to all of us!
Great job Mrs. C. I agree with an above post. The jewelry layering here is great...Although faced with tough economic times I believe the fashion industry's future is as bright as that yellow J crew sweater. Fashion (even back in the great depression era) was an escape and a comfort. This is going to be exciting.
I think the thing that appeals to most people about Michelle's fashion is that she's "every woman." For people who can afford it, she wears fabulous designers. For people who can't afford it, she buys at H&M and J Crew. Everyone can find a way to take cues from her, even if it's just rummaging through Grandma's jewelry box to find some great vintage pins to add to a string of pearls.
Does anyone think that Michelle Obama picks her own clothes, or does she have a personal shopper/stylist? I ask because I can't imagine she has time to shop, online or off, for herself, and second, her look, hair and makeup really changed during the campaign, and quite suddenly, I thought.
As for playing it safe and WASP dressing, that photo of her and hubby going out to dinner in Chicago right after the election was anything but safe - a gorgeous black wrap, stiletto boots - she looked total New York. Love it!
So, Mrs. O has a "safe, American WASP way of dressing" does she?
Mmmm.... Not to the woman sitting at this keyboard she doesn't!
Mrs. O dresses to suit herself - sometimes, boldly and "unsafely" so - and some of her choices I will love, others I'm sure will be less to my own taste, but I'm confident that she will continue to follow her own deeply personal style/fashion path, and I will happily, gladly continue to be an avid onlooker
Michelle Obama is confident in herself and smart enough to know that looking stylish and in good taste does not mean wearing high priced designer fashions and expensive jewelry. She chooses styles that fit, flatter and that are age and event appropriate. That is why she is so refreshing!
yes, that is the outfit. i can HARDLY WAIT to see what Mrs O is wearing to each of the inaugural events.I am not sure if the general population realizes that the gown she chooses will become a part of the permanent collection in the Smithsonian First Lady exhibit.
I can hardly wait to see what she wears during the inaugaration and to the ball afterwards!
Also, one of Mrs. O's favorite designers, Thakoon, is on sale at Gilt Groupe starting this week. You need an invite to view the sale-
http://www.gilt.com/invite/loveslux
I wonder if some of the dresses that Mrs O wore on the campaign trail will be on sale?!
What I like about Mrs. O is that her style generally tends to be structured, and there's a dignity, discretion and modesty about it. Excellent grooming, great lines for her body. No bare midriffs, etc.