Mrs. O Sparkles at Governors' Dinner
Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 3:33 PM 
Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Tonight the Os will welcome the National Governors Association to the White House, hosting their first black tie dinner at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. As we mentioned earlier this week, Earth, Wind & Fire is slated to play, which will surely make for a fun evening. From the White House press release:
"The White House is the place where our bond as Americans is strengthened," said Desiree Rogers, White House Social Secretary. "We look forward to welcoming the nation’s governors to celebrate our democratic ideals, our diversity, our shared values and the best of the American spirit."
We're curious to see how Mrs. O will interpret black tie attire at the White House - a cocktail dress or a formal evening gown? (Of note, the reference to "black tie" came from Lynn Sweet's very reliable column for the Chicago Sun Times.)
Update: This afternoon Mrs. O spoke with a group of culinary students from L'Academie de Cuisine in the White House kitchen before the Governors' Dinner. The Huffington Post has a slideshow here. The dress is a cocktail length cobalt blue gem from Jason Wu's Spring 2009 collection (runway image here). As many have already observed in the comments, the dress is quite similar to the white Jason Wu dress that Mrs. O wore for an interview with Barbara Walters in November. We imagine the materials and construction - raw silk with hand embroidered rosettes - are the same. Lynn Sweet at the Chicago Sun Times also has the scoop on the menu, china and flowers for tonight's event, which can be read here.
Update: Mrs. O has changed dresses! The First Lady is wearing a sequin, strapless gown by Peter Soronen paired with a dramatic multi-strand necklace of pearls and crystals by Tom Binns. The dress is the "twilight gown" from Peter Soronen's Fall Winter 2008 collection. As is Soronen's signature, the top part of dress is a corset, with a long bias skirt, all in sequins. The color, we're told, is actually a deep purple / ink blue. With her hair pulled up, our First Lady Mrs. O is the epitome of style and glamour this evening. The Huffington Post's "The Other Red Carpet" slideshow is a must see.
Jason Wu, Peter Soronen, Tom Binns in Outfits
Reader Comments (267)
That is cute her and the girls(Desiree and Val) all decided they were going to rock black tonight.
hurry someone post it
i can't wait
i know she looks beautiful
Is this on TV anywhere? Please, please, please tell me
I've just linked to the latest images above. We'll have one up later tonight (holding out for a full length shot).
Regarding the updated images of Mrs Os actual evening look ( so far ) wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow
The masses or pearls of various sizes w/ the large jeweled clasp - how unique and major chic.
Her hair elegant, the makeup perfection. I loved the way she amped up her evening makeup - the glossy lips.
WOW cant wait to see the gown !!! WHO HAS PHOTOS ?!
oh doesn't she look beautiful
can't wait to see the whole dress
she look like she's having a good time
I can't wait to see the full gown. Looks sparkly! I'm hoping for fitted of course.
GORGEOUS!!! I'm so glad she went with an updo and lots of drama!
This Week with Barack Obama has a few great pics:
http://thisweekwithbarackobama.blogspot.com/
I just went to daylife dot com and typed in White House State Dinner. There are pictures of the President in his black tie. None of Michelle yet.
Gee I guess I was wrong and everyone else was right! Having seen what other women like Desiree Rogers and Michelle Paterson are wearing... I guess that the Jason Wu dress from earlier, though beautiful, was actually too informal for this event.
It's really hard to comment based on seeing so little of the dress. But the dramatic necklace and the makeup and the hair are absolutely gorgeous. And a strapless dress! How brave (and she can pull it off, for sure).
From the tiny bit of fabric that I see, it looks like the dress is black with flecks of silver? And the necklace seems to be TWO necklaces--right? I see a silver strand, and then a cream strand.
Anyway, I can't wait to see the rest of this look.
her hair looks gorgeous, i can't wait to see the rest of the dress.
We probably won't get any good shots of the dress until they start the dancing. I can't wait to see the full frock; the bodice appears to be sequinned, but we're seeing so little of it, it's hard to tell.
Get hold of yourselves. The Obamas are not gods!
Her make-up is stunning!! I love her light pink lips.
i don't think anyone here thinks the Obama's are gods
people are just happy to see them
no harm in it
it's really not that serious
who said they were gods? really you take things a little to seriously, lighten up. You'll live longer
Love what I see.
why do people read a blog, knowing the content and leave a comment critizing what they just read.
I never understood that.
P.S. She looks beautiful!
The This Week with Barack Obama site has a picture of a female governor I think is Kathleen Sebelius. I really like that sophisticated green gown she has on.
Bobby Jindal's wife also looks lovely -- that one shoulder look is obviously very "in."
Well, of course she changed dresses. The Jason Wu was nice, but NOT for a black tie event!
I also just went to YWWBO site and the President looks dashing !
Impeccably handsome.
I agree w/ Christina regarding that green gown - very chic.
Wow, the first WH black tie dinner looks like a knock out !
Simply stunning!!
I like that green dress also.
They were on foxnews a moment ago
the pool report (politico.com), says the gown is silver
here is a video from C-span
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/includes/templates/library/flash_popup.php?pID=284232-2&clipStart=&clipStop=
Here is the pic u all have been waiting for:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama/im:/090223/ids_photos_ts/r1579977079.jpg/#photoViewer=/090223/ids_photos_ts/r941882201.jpg
What a stunner!
FABULICIOUS!! WOW I LOVE THIS DRESS!
love love it love it
she look's beautiful
and the Prez looks very handsome
OMG I have died and gone to heaven.
I am having a glamor overdose !!
THAT IS OUR FIRST COUPLE !
They are a vision of American chic.
Whata stunning couple. Wow Michelle, that's better than all the Oscar gowns. She looks amazing. Like a movie star.
OMG! She looks stunning. And our President is movie star handsome! It's fitted AND sparkly!!! Loves it!
absolutely stunning, the both of them.
Love it!Love it!Love it!Love it!Love it!
I have to say--I am stunned by the beauty of this dress--and how the First Lady looks in it. Just beautiful. Congratulations to Mrs. Obama. What style--and grace! I just love it.
Words can not describe the magnificence of this new era in the White House!
OMG, I loooove this!! She looks absolutely fantastic.
just WOW
the best dressed couple of the evening
Mrs.O's dress is fabulous
That look is a TEN!!!
well they look just stunning....
Grey is very fashion forward,what a refreshing change from the predictability of black. It's a really breathtaking look
This is my first post here, and I am glad it's for this dress! I am in love with, and in awe of this gown.
STUNNING!!!!!!!!!!
The look is a TEN all the way I can't get over how great she looks.
Wow. Wow. And wow. What a gorgeous couple, in every way. they emanate class, style, elegance, joy!
Wearing a strapless gown at age 45 is a fairly substantial acheivement.
Finally back at my computer and just LOVE this dress! I love how it emphasizes her curves while being effortlessly elegant. Can't wait to hear who the designer is.
Oh, and Mrs. T, I'm sure you expected this but, what can you find out about the jewelry? :)
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama/im:/090223/ids_photos_ts/r941882201.jpg/#photoViewer=/090223/480/48529173fbcf428aafbbad001d179216
Is there a bit of a mermaid bottom to this dress?? Verrry sexy!
Wow...
What an incredible stunner of a dress. She has never, ever looked more glamorous.
I must say...even though I did quite like the Jason Wu dress, this gown might have been a better choice for the Inauguration Ball, if only in how much easier it looks to dance in because of the shorter train, and also because it's not quite so hard to photograph as the gorgeous detailing of the Jason Wu gown was.
This dress would fit right in at the Red Carpet at the Academy Awards so how fitting that the dinner was tonight!