Mrs. O and The Future of Fashion
Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 2:19 PM Glamour magazine hosted a panel discussion on The Future of Women's Fashion at the 92nd St. Y in New York last evening, moderated by editor-in-chief Cindy Lieve. Both Robin Givhan and Isaac Mizrahi participated, weighing in on the first lady's style.
From NYMag:
Cindy Lieve: Do you see Michelle Obama having an effect on fashion?
Robin Givhan: She has had impact in that she set an example for a lot of women who are over the age of 30 who felt disenfranchised by the fashion industry. And I think she is perfect example to them that you can incorporate fashion into your lives, and what makes you look good doesn't necessarily negate your I.Q. And unfortunately, for a lot of people there is the idea that if you show a lot of interest in fashion, particularly in our nation's capital, that you also can't keep statistics in your head.
Isaac Mizrahi: And I will add to that, the First Lady is an actual woman. She doesn't have a tiny thigh, she doesn't have a huge thigh, she has a real thigh. That's a great role model.
Check out Glamour's Slaves to Fashion blog for a follow-up interview with Robin Givhan. Her designer wish for Mrs. O? To wear Marc Jacobs!
P.S. Did anyone attend? We would love to hear more about this event!
Reader Comments (8)
I love Isaac's statement. She's REAL.
If Michelle was a slave to fashion, then she would be wearing all the high end expensive lines. I would guess that there are no shortage of designers falling over themselves to dress Michelle. This woman is real and has shown us regular women who have to juggle our monthly pay check with mortgages, child care, car note, bills, food etc that you can still look cute and fashionable by wearing high street brands.
I personally think Michelle has done more for fashion in one year than many of her contemporaries have done in ten. I also love the fact that when she does wear a designer outfit, she continues to put the less well known ones on the fashion map.
I can't afford to wear Armani, Gucci, Prada etc. And I whilst I sometimes enjoy fawning over the rich and famous who can afford it, I can't really relate to them especially when they often starve themselves to get into an outfit.
Along comes Michelle who wears J Crew, Gap, Talbots, Target....(TARGET???), she throws on a little cute cardi, pulls it altogether with a belt, some accessories and VOILA - she is tranformed into one of us.
I actually find myself experimenting more with bold colours andfashion jewellry in ways I never did before. And for years, I loved my cardi but was often told that they aged me. I continued wearing them regardless but thanks to Michelle for putting the sexy back in cardigans.
I absolutely agree with isaac.
I agree with Isaac and Jestina. Miss Obama has showed us/the world that fashion doesn't have to break the bank. She has access to designers and styles that many of us will never be able to afford, but she remembers us by throwing in a piece that any recessionista or frugalista can certainly emulate. Gotta love her!
OT
Please check out this gorgeous picture of our first family:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/4035513827/sizes/l/
The one thing(amongst many others) I love about FLOTUS is that she wears the same pieces time and time again, but in a different way. She flips them, pairs them with something different, makes them seem fresh and new again. She's very practical with her clothes and I think that alone speaks volumes.
I work in the fringes of academia and it is dismaying to see talented, smart women AND men look disheveled, aged, and completely out of date bc of their attires. Mrs O. is indeed helping usher (or should I say stomp?) out the inane notion that you can't be stylish and smart. I've seen that trend about some younger female academics and I think Mrs. O lends them further legitimacy.
There is a lot in the Spring/Summer Marc by Marc Jacobs line that would be great for Mrs. O! (with a little tweaking, of course) Beautiful prints.
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-MARC/
I wish the whole 92nd Street Y talk was on video, but could only find a small clip of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6nAdlAHdRU
You guys might also enjoy another video I found. December 2008 5-part interview with Robin Givhan that is fascinating. (if a little low-tech). All about Washington, DC's relationship with fashion & "our first lady", Hillary, Mrs. O, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WoSgenBCgw&feature=related