Inaugural Imitations
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As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. As it applies to Mrs. O's inaugural fashion, however, it's only fair to say that the imitators have come up considerably short. On Monday, formal wear labels ABS by Allen Schwartz and Faviana debuted their interpretations of Mrs. O's inaugural fashion on the Today Show, showcasing quick turnaround, lower priced copies of Mrs. O's lemongrass dress and coat by Isabel Toledo and one-shoulder ivory chiffon gown by Jason Wu. We suppose the point is more to be first to copy the look, and less to equal the nuances and subtleties of the original design. Still, from the materials, to colors and cuts, these imitations just don't measure up (even under the guise of offering the looks for considerably less). For those who want their own piece of Mrs. O inaugural style, we recommend saving one's hard earned dollars for the J. Crew grass green leather gloves that Mrs. O wore for the Oath of Office cermony, or the blue and olive J. Crew ensemble that Mrs. O wore for the Kids Inaugural Concert. Per the Today Show video, J. Crew plans to offer the leather gloves soon, while pieces similar to Mrs. O's Kids Inaugural Concert look will be available in J. Crew's Fall 2009 collection. Not only will they be chic and affordable, they'll be the real thing, no imitation necessary.
Outfits
Reader Comments (30)
Most people won't notice the difference and will buy the less expensive interpretations to feel closer to the day's hopeful message. Subtleties in fashion are not Main Street's strong suit. Knock off's are fashion's game of telephone--what goes in might not be all that recognizable on the way out!
Funny that on the imitations they put on the jeweled neckline and said "like Michelle Obama's" yet that wasnt the neckline on Michelle's! It was a separate piece of jewelry! Oh well.
Disappointing. Terrible colors and the materials look cheap.
I am all about "fashion democracy" but I really found these to be awful. Maybe it was reading Isabel Toledo describe why she chose the 'lemongrass' color and the unusual swiss wool lace material - so much thoughtfulness and purpose behind her design - that made these crude imitations feel empty and well, all around icky. Honestly, I sort of winced and looked away when I saw that harsh yellow number.
I must say that I did actually like the ABS interpretation of the Jason Wu dress, the version worn by the very thin African American model. It captures a little of the whimsy and romance of the original, and it has that nice full skirt. It does, however, look extremely cheap...
Yeah, these "imitations" would definitely not flatter the designers.
I liked the Fabbiano (sp?) versions. I hated the bright yellow ABS.
I mean, it's hard to tell from a small video, but I don't really think they look that bad...
Kristan
http://jbu.phuzzymath.net/
The coats look nothing like the First Daugters coats. Cheap looking coats.
Okay so I guess we're pretty much unanimous on this one.
What they did to the Isabela Toledo look was nothing short of sacrilege. It'll be interesting to see how well these do with consumers.
You have all taken the words right out of my mouth.
If one really must copy Mrs O's look, buy the J Crew gloves - the only truly authentic piece that will be offered- and then create your own original ensemble as a homage.
That would be a much closer to the true spirit of capturing the 'Mrs O look' than buying some cheap knock off of couture fashions that were made w/ love, dedication and care for one special moment in history.
I'm with everyone else...I think these were clearly rushed and lack the smallest attention to detail.
Well, I think we're all on the same page for the most part.
On a bright note, stay tuned for a Mrs. O jewelry profile tomorrow. Tons of sparkle on the way!
Of course the cheaporama copycats had to use fabrics that were already available. They can't wait to have the fabric made and then do the cut and sew on the garments. This limits any ability to find "lemongrass".
I think it would be wiser for admirers to consider the *substance* of Mrs. O's style, not the exact garment.
I am a vintage clothing dealer, and can can occasionally find vintage items with the same quality and attention to detail as was evident in the stunning Toledo ensemble. I may be prejudiced, but I would say that vintage clothing is an excellent source for wonderful quality at a reasonable price.
Consider quality, appropriateness for the occasion, how complimentary it is to the wearer, how it highlights the wearer's taste and style. Mrs. O's outfits show a personal spirit that we could all learn from without owning a single item--or copy of an item--that she has worn.
(Not that I don't covet!)
denisebrain you are so correct !
I LOVE vintage - it is ultra chic
I also thought the knock-offs looked cheap and didn't do a very good job of capturing the essence of the orginal outfit. But then with the crack-down on knock-off and fake designer accessories, maybe a certain percentage of the design had to be changed so as to be legal.
I would love to get the green J.Crew gloves Michelle wore, but at $98, it's a little expensive for an item that only gets worn half of the year. Not to mention I usually lose one glove per winter. I'm hoping for knock-offs of the gloves and green shoes!
I agree with the comment from the vintage clothing dealer. I shop (and sell, too) vintage all the time, and last year, before all this lemongrass madness, I found a fabulous 3 piece pale yellow suit from the 60's with rhinestone accents at my local thriftstore for a steal. I mean, really, it was waaaay less that 300 bucks, and, best of all, it's not going to scream "innauguration knock-off"; it'll just make a subtle allusion to it (even though it's just a fantastic find in itself without the shout out to Michelle).
I didn't like any of the dresses, though the dress on caucasian woman on the right with the white formal came closest to copying the original. Again, I like when something sort of alludes to an age or a particular look, but I don't want to walk around looking like a copy-cat.
Now, the gloves I could totally deal with. A little on the pricey side for me...I'm waiting for the knockoffs!
The CrewCuts imitations are AWFUL and the colors for the Isabel Toledo imposters were a poor choice. I'm not feeling the Jason Wu knock-offs either.
Jewelry? Did I hear jewelry, Mrs. T?
:)
Wow, the kids' jackets were awful!
I think that if anyone is looking to emulate Mrs. O, it should be with a look, an essence, not necessarily a copy. As a Caucasian woman with fair skin, that lemongrass would look beyond hideous on me. The style of the dress and coat, however, would suit me well. I disliked the bright yellow - bad color and too much of a knockoff copy. I preferred the paler yellow textured fabric; it's an elegant look without being a total ripoff.
Although the Toledo look worked well for an inauguration where it was an unexpected style, it's pretty predictable/typical for a wedding/christening etc and I'd expect it would lose some of it's edge when the average woman wears it to those type of occasions.
Finally, it's nice that JCrew is making the gloves for next fall - but Mrs. O will be wearing something else then, so why bother? I just ran out and bought some nice wool gloves in brighter colors than I normally would wear and I'm having fun with them.
Did anyone else hear the host say the girls were wearing petticoats? You would think that the fashion reporter could get that right. (Also, the adult models were not exactly A-list for TV, though the girls were adorable.)
Aside from that, I'd like to defend the quality of ABS--it's good for what it is. I was married in an ABS knock-off of a Vera Wang bridemaid's gown, and no one was the wiser. That said, these designs were not at all subtle and the colors were very wrong. Maybe it's gone down over the years.
I agree with so many of the ladies here--the ultimate homage to Michelle's style is to find beautiful pieces (vintage or off the rack) that suit your own coloring and body type, and make the look your own with unexpected accessories. Wearing these knock-offs would feel like wearing a costume.
I feel my most "Mrs. O" when I wear a very narrow-cut gray suit (which works for my boyish figure) with my purple/pink/black Chie Mihara heels (so funky and unexpected)...and a big bouffant!
ps--Can we talk more about Michelle's hair??
Speaking of imitations, they're already working on her wax statue for Madame Tussauds!
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20090128/i/r3727254527.jpg
LisaC I've seen some pretty good ABS Oscar night knock-offs in the past. But lately, there stuff has been looking very homemade.
These two looks were dreadful. I really can't see anyone actually purchasing that bright yellow bright yellow ensemble.
Yuck. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little watching that video.
But I'd really like to knock off that Jill Biden/Milly dress, minus the belt, and in a brown glen plaid instead of black...
@ Christine,
I had the same sentiment! Not even the models look convinced...
Anything for a buck. Funny, what measures are taken to sell a product.
A little disappointed to see all the enthusiasm for knockoffs in the comments here. Mrs. O doesn't wear knockoffs, she supports up and coming independent designers with fresh new ideas. It would be amazing if the American public would embrace independent designers running their own small businesses, providing original deisgns at every price point.
Wow, those yellows are blindingly tacky. And paired with the dark gloves made the eyesore even more severe. That black model in the Jason Wu knockoff is way too skinny, and the dresses themselves look cheap. Can't say much for the kids' coats, but I will say that someone should've actually STYLED their hair because they looked a hot mess!
Well, a "knock-off" of the Isabel Toledo with the same or a a equally fabric isn't possible since the fabric was of the highest quality and therefore very pricey, so they had to find poorer replacements and you saw it. if you wouldn't see the differences, then the fabrics wouldn't still be made in Switzerland, where workers earn very high salaries but somewhere in India, China etc.