Monday
May172010
One Fabulous Frock
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 5:49 PM 
Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton
The White House has a released a photo of the First Lady posing with participants from the Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride, taken three weeks ago. This is our first static look at the fabulous floral frock Mrs. O chose for the event. Any ideas on the designer? This dress is just beyond gorgeous!
Update: The first lady is wearing a Fall 2009 dress by Los Angeles-based designer Barbara Tfank. For more on the designer, click here.
tagged Barbara Tfank
Barbara Tfank
Reader Comments (124)
Oh, Mrs.T I wish you all the best on your upcoming nuptials and honeymoon. And as far as the blog going on hiatus for 2 or 3 weeks, I personally have no problem with that. You should enjoy yourself fully, free of work or this blog. God Bless.
@ Cincinnati Kid
Like chrystelle said she wears Tracey Reese. But I guess it's not enough that she is the first African-American first lady, or has appointed the first African-American social secretary or that the President has appointed many African-American women in posts that had never been occupied by AA women before such as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, or senior advisor Valerie Jarret and many other posts. As an AA woman myself I just think it's a bit ridiculous to nit pick the First Lady because she isn't wearing 2 or more AA designers. To me she, and the women I mentioned before as well AA men in the Obama administration are the true examples to younger Americans that you can achieve anything you want. The idea that Mrs.O sends out a message that is "sad and discouraging" because she doesn't wear as many AA clothing designers as you want is absurd. I'll take AA's in positions of power and making the world better over how many AA's dressed the First Lady for an event any day.
Oh my goodness!...not only is this dress gorgeous , Michelle looks absolutely beautiful in it. I wish I had the figure for such a style. I would go find one to buy. But I have her wearing it and I am enjoying every minute of it. Go Michelle go!!!!!. You are just so adorable. We love you .
Mrs. T - I can't imagine anyone WANTING you to post on your honeymoon.That just might be grounds for an immediate divorce.LOL!!
I would probably have withdrawals from my Mrs. O fix but that would be okay.
I nominate Chrystelle to keep us up-to-date with pictures/links as she does quite a terrific job. At least we would have new pictures and you can play catch-up on your return.
What do the rest of you think??
@ Ari - I agree with you wholeheartedly. While I enjoy this Fashion blog immensely I feel that Michelle should be recognised for her substance. That is indeed nit-picky!!
To the Brianas, Mia Montes and Chrystelles, be quiet, don't take the bait, It turns this lovely blog into a brawl, which is the intention. You ladies have shown lots of self love and self respect. Let that shine through.
Lovely dress, indeed! The neckline of this dress looks very similar to the one Mrs. O wore in your Modern Classic post on Wednesday.
@The Cincinnati Kid
There was another poster named Mara, who has since disappeared, but she always commented that Mrs. O did not give any attention to AA designers. Here is a suggestion; why not post some names here in this blog that you think the First Lady should consider. I am absolutely sure that someone connected to the First Lady reads this blog. I'm sure that there are others who would love to have this information. Post links to their collections, etc. Give them some POSITIVE PR. Secondly, send your suggestions directly to the White House and to the Ikram boutique in Chicago. Take a proactive positive position rather than be "sad and discouraged".
Frankly, I think that she wears what she likes, which is why she chooses designers that I have never heard of, like the designer of this lovely frock she is wearing. We know that she likes belts and brooches but her fashion choices are all over the place. That spells independence to me.
I don't remember the name, but someone supposedly representing black designers or their trade organization dissed Mrs. O right after the inauguration, hardly a positive introduction, and a very dumb move. I'd also be surprised if we ever see her in an Oscar de la Renta.
So now, The Cincinnati Kid, put your mouth where your desire is.
Totally retro and cool. I have a vintage dress that is incredibly similiar.
If I were in the room when Mrs. O walked in wearing this dress, I likely would faint out of pure pleasure and awe. The jewel that is Mrs. O and the jewel that is this dress on her are all one and the same. That she is so warm and sincere is why those guys are smiling, laughing, and engaged. She is the approachable jewel. I will bet that she has a really terrific sense of humor, too (and will bet the same for the President, the girls, and Mrs. Robinson!). Though I will remain endlessly intrigued by the fashion choices, what I would really wish for is the chance to meet Mrs. O herself. Perhaps one day...
There could never be too much supportive programming put toward our service men and women and their families. I am so grateful for the broader efforts of the Obama administration in this regard, and for the more personal efforts of Mrs. O, Dr. B., and others.
Otherwise--Mrs. T., please spend all of your honeymoon ON your honeymoon. The days will race by so quickly. Hold onto them as best you can.
Mrs. T,
You deserve a break from the blog! My guess is posters will add links to you last thread before your honeymoon that will keep us all posted on Mrs. O's sartorial choices.
I echo denisegirl's plea to Briana, chrystelle, and Mia Montes to try to ignore the bait. These ill intentioned posters aim to stir up strife and start a flurry of responses that take away from the premise of this community. She and others will keep on upping the ante - if they get too out of hand Mrs. T will have a stash of mail waiting for her from those who get fed up with the insults and jabs at Mrs. O.
Mrs. T pls enjoy your honey-moon we will survive without you for 3 weeks...
@ denisegirl
Great suggestions and I remember that incident when the supposed representative of the "Black Artists Association" came out with a rude statement slamming Mrs.O for wearing a Cuban American and Taiwanese designer for the Inaugural events, instead of African Americans. It turns out this was not an official organization and other black designers such as Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows and Tracey Reese had never even heard of this woman or her organization. It also seems like this woman was not 100% sane when it was reported that she claimed to have predicted 9/11 and other creepy, weird things about the TV show Heroes and the Tribeca film festival. In response to her ridiculous statements AA designer B. Michael sent out this gracious and beautiful statement:
"For the record I would like to state that the statement made on behalf of the Black Artists Association does not represent my point of view. I understand their sensitivity and respect their right to express it.
I personally believe it is an unfair expectation to place on the First Lady. Fashion is subjective and a matter of personal choice. As a designer of color I would encourage the fashion industry, editors and media to lead the way and be more inclusive. True change in America is going to be a collective effort.
As an American Designer I am excited that Mrs. Obama, in her role as the First Lady, will heighten the awareness of American style which resonates into business and jobs in the fashion industry.
I applaud Mrs. Obama for her style and her choices. Most of all for wearing what really matters, dingity and grace."
Yes, Mrs. T, enjoy your honeymoon.
I absolutely love this dress on Mrs. O. When she's on, she's really ON!
Definitely ENJOY your honeymoon Mrs. T!!!
There are other blogs ( that definitely will never take the place of this one) and as Bevi said there are enough loyal Mrs. O followers that can and will link pics that we find to your last entry.
I really really like this dress!!
Very mad men. Love it!
anytime i need to brighten my rainy... i jus set my eyes on Mrs. O. Beautiful!
She is beautiful indside and out....her hugs are real and her laughter is contagious. How wonderful to have such a joyful Mother in Chief. And she brings a lot of attention to our military families who are in the field now but also when they come home.
Well it has really been a floral month for MO.
I like solid colors on our gorgeous first lady, but I guess if you must wear a print, why not this one?
The cut and fit of this dress are terrific.
Hair and makeup look stunning.
Her arms look amazing.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes with the wedding and honeymoon! I will be sure to post a note that I'll be away, which should be a good forum to link to new appearances as they happen. And then when I'm back, I can do a proper "catch-up" post! xoxo
Well, allow me to throw my log onto the fire......ENJOY YOUR GROOM AND YOUR HONEYMOON! We will be just fine. There are a few sites that I visit for pictures, but my posts belong on here, and here alone. I don't even read the comments from other sites on because they seem to welcome, with open arms, the mean spirited and vile remarks. Thanks, but no thanks. As I said, we'll be fine!
Mrs. T. I wish you all the best on your upcoming nuptials. We will try to survive.
How about to make up for your absence we your loyal "Mrs. O" bloggers get a treat of a photo of your wedding dress when you return to the blog site. I am sure it will be fabulous!!
Ms T, Can you put someone else in charge of the blog while you're away on your honeymoon? Enjoy your honeymoon, and best regards in your new life.
This dress is an exquisite beauty, and the First Lady looks exquisite in it. I hope to see more of Ms. Tfank's creations.
On a separate note, I don't really understand why "the Brianas, Mia Montes, and Chrystelles" are being advised to "be quiet". There are times, certainly, when it is best to just ignore comments that are made, when it's obvious that someone is simply trying to "stir". At other times, it is possible to respond both pointedly, and politely! Matters don't have to descend downwards, if people give and take, with respect.
Anyway, back to the exquisite dress, which I wish was in my wardrobe...this is already one of my favourites; the subtle gleam of the fabric, the vibrancy of the pattern, the wonderful cut. I see nothing here not to like.
Here's to a joyous wedding day for you, Mrs. T., and a honeymoon free of a single thought of blogging.
MRS T, Goes without saying. This is YOUR DAY, and probably one of the most important moments in your life. You dedicate so much of your time here, and we thank you so much. I'm very happy for you and your family and we can't wait to get all the details (smile). I don't visits other blogs. I'll use this time to get caught up with reading some emails and ofcourse enjoying the beautiful weather. Best Wishes.
Mrs. T, from me personally to you! CONGRATULATIONS and ENJOY your HONEYMOON! Though I can't speak for anyone else, yet I'll be here looking for more wonderful updates upon your return!
Beauty is thy name, Mrs. O! What a great look for the First Lady. The pattern is heavenly and the fit is perfect. This is the Mrs. O I love to see!
She wears Rachel Roy. And I believe the designer of the blouse she wore to the Whitehouse Def Poetry Jam is Black and Michelle has worn other designs by her as well. Also there is L'Wren Scott--is she Black?
Nice of you, Mrs. T, to warn us that we will be without you for a time. This gives me time to shore up my reserves so I don't go completely into withdrawal and curl up in a corner. I am in a rather difficult stage of my life, and this blog gives me such a "time out" from the daily stuff. So great! All good wishes to you!!
This is one of my favorites on her. The fit is great. Does anybody have a link to a photo of her shoes?? I am very curious what shoes she wore with this. Thanks!
This is just beautiful! Perfect on her!
Mrs. T, enjoy your wedding, honeymoon and vacation. We will be here when you get back!
Best Wishes!
oooooooh my goodness. oh my goodness. mrs obama has won y'all. I mean, this woman is gorgeous. i can only imagine what the president tells her at the end of the day. This dress is GORGEOUS. ......this dress has won. Look how it fits her like a little babys onesis. I love it. America needs to appreciate Mrs Obama just for dressing up!!!!
A) Mrs T have a great wedding & honeymoon, don't even think of this site for one second! (Please do link to an appropriate updated daily site in the meantime, either another blog or NY Mag's Michelle Look
Book)
B) I don't have a dog in the "She should wear Black designers" fight, I see both sides (I'm a Black woman if that matters lol), but I don't agree with bringing up the Black women in high positions as a reason for why one shouldn't be happy she doesn't wear more Black designers.
That's a great thing and inspiring but if we are going by that logic then no one should focus on her fashion bevause she's doing "more important" things via mentoring or as a role model.
What I mean is it should be okay to tale things in context and find it sad she doesn't wear more Black designers without it being countered with "But there are so many Black women at the White House, that's way more important", one should just deal with the clothes comment.
Mrs. T, perhaps I will get some work done while you're on your honeymoon! I must admit I'm quite addicted to your wonderful blog.
Enjoy yourself and all best wishes to you.
Gorgeous!!!!!
MLRO is a very sophisticated, talented, educated, and worldly women according to all of her fans, so why do all of her fans on this blog think that she is somehow insensitive to, unaware of, held back from, or blind to Black Designers. If she wants to wear black designers styles and clothing, the world is her oyster and she can seek them out and promote and wear them if that suits her. Don't blame ANYONE else other than Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama that she doesn't wear more Black Designer couture. If she wants to wear them she will, if they aren't suiting her style outlook, she won't. It is her choice, she knows what is out there and she does what she wants when it comes to fashion forwardness, I guess!!!! So all of you have said.....
Breathtaking.
The dress is a celebration of these Wounded Warriors & their accomplishments.
OT (since we didn't see what Mrs O was wearing under her commencement-speech gown at GWU) but did any TBG fans see that he was also on the dias? (Be-gowned, of course)
I think wanting Mrs. Obama to wear more/all AA designers puts tremendous pressure on her. For what and why? Don't you think she feels it everyday as the first AA First Lady?
I found this article about a Chicago born Mexican-American designer named Louis Verdad. He has used all black models in his shows and said that his collections are inspired by Mrs.O. I wonder if she has chosen him for tomorrows State Dinner?
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Say-yes-to-the-dress_-Will-Chicago-born-Mexican-American-be-the-one_-94202579.html
P.S.
Last time I'm going to even enter this AA designers debate, but what I was refuting was the fact that somehow Mrs.O not wearing more than one AA designer was so detrimental and negative to black people the way Cincinnati Kid was portraying it to be. And I agree with ann#1 as well as AA designer B.Michael's statement that the expectation is unfair and only puts more pressure on her that I'm sure she feels already in ways we couldn't imagine. She's just handling it really well so we don't see it all the time.
Here's a link to his Spring 2010 collection via WWD.
http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/louver-by-louis-verdad-rtw-spring-2010-2342944//#/article/fashion-shows-reviews/fashion-designer/louver-102904/louver-by-louis-verdad-rtw-spring-2010-2342944?navSection=fashion-shows-reviews&offset=0
@ Cincinnati Kid,
I'm pretty sure you won't follow Denisegirl's suggestion. Based on your comments, you don't sound like the type. Instead, you run off at the mouth on this blog offering nothing constructive. It shouldn't come as any surprise to you and others that the First Lady isn't losing any sleep over your commentary. Like most women, it's apparent she selects clothes she likes & feels comfortable in, not by the label. If the design happens to be AA or another nationality or ethnicity, then so be it. So your outcry for her to set up a quota system for designers is just ludicrous and doesn't deserve a second thought. Oh, by the way, have you made an inventory of your closet lately? How many AA designers populate your hangers, or does your rationale applies only to the First Lady?
Mrs. T, congratulations and enjoy your time away. Have a safe trip.
Mrs.T, I'd never stand in the way of love. Enjoy life and that man.
I am glad some nominations were thrown out to aid direction.
And this dress, and those pearls, and that pose are pure art.
Mrs. T, how very sweet of you to ask if your readers are okay with your proposed dates for a hiatus while you're on your honeymoon! As I said, I was being selfish when asking how we're going to survive while you're away. It is quite clear that you love this blog and you should be proud of the work you have done; however, I personaly don't think you should give it a second thought while you're away enjoying your honeymoon and marital bliss! Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder so I, as will others I'm sure, will eagerly await your return. When you get back I'm sure there will be several photos to post so we can enjoy a bunch all at one visit! :-)
This dress is fabolous! I love the cut and color!
http://www.daylife.com/photo/047kc5E1WI6dc?q=Michelle+Obama
Here she is welcoming President Felipe Calderon and his wife with President Obama. Very nice color. I'm guessing the coat is Barbra Tfank. It looks like one of the luxurious coats from her collection.
i covet her necklace.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama#photoViewer=/100519/ids_photos_ts/r128629548.jpg
great minds think alike Ari!
MRS OBAMA IS WEARRING PINK AND HER HAIR IS SLIK BACK AGIAN CANT WEIT TO SEE WHAT SHE IS GOING TO WEAR TONIGHT FOR THE STAE DINNER YOU CAN GET THE PICES IN GETTY IMAGE.
@ chrystelle
Indeed! :-)
Can't wait for tonight. Mrs.O always knows how to rock a beautiful gown. Every one of her gowns since becoming First Lady have been perfection down to the accessories.
BTW I love her necklace in the photo too. It's huge! lol! I think it would be called a bib necklace. It works so well with her outfit.
Greeting president of Mexico and his wife this morning:
http://www.daylife.com/photo/05mA5FR6knb7j?q=michelle+obama
Please, please let Mrs. T have her honeymoon. We can hold off for 1 week.
This dress is too, too, fab! Colors, length, everthing is just perfect!