Stunning in Peter Soronen
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 7:04 PM 
Image by Paul J. Richards / Getty Images
The first lady is a vision in blue this evening, wearing a stunning one-shoulder gown by the great American designer Peter Soronen. There is a quality about this look that is pure perfection -- at once timeless and timely, embodying a thoroughly American brand of glamour. From the classic, handcrafted gown, to the impeccably chosen accessories, our first lady has never looked better. What a moment!
The azure blue gown was created using three layers of fabric -- chiffon over lame chiffon and silk. As is Peter Soronen's signature, the gown features a corset top with a lace-up back. The concept of the gown, one-shoulder aside, recalls the lavender Peter Soronen dress Mrs. O wore for the Kennedy Center Honors in December.
Update: A new detail to report! Mrs. O's shoes last evening were Jimmy Choo "Jasper" Rhinestone sandals. The first lady also wore a pair of Sutra Jewels blue sapphire and diamond earrings. Click here to hear Peter Soronen talking about the gown on Access Hollywood!
Top two images Getty Images / Bottom image Reuters
Jimmy Choo, Peter Soronen, Sutra Jewels
Reader Comments (223)
Mrs. O is a great example of why we should see more dark skinned black models on the runway. I'll never understand the bias against them.
Love the dress, belt, shoes. Very festive. I agree with Dlev though, bodice is ill-fitted. Love, love, love the color. Always an enjoyment to see her photos!
What's with everyone? This dress doesn't fit her properly around the bust line! It looks terrible up close.
From far away the color and fabric is beautiful, hair and shoes are great. But the skin hanging over the
top of the bodice is not complimentary at all.
A queen of truth!
She is gorgeous! Brazil also loves Michelle!!!
Nice mani/pedi. Very pretty blush color. And the shoes are really cute too. I wonder if their Jimmy Choo since she loves that brand so much.
Love the curls. Like the color and fabric of the dress, but it doesn't seem to fit Mrs. O well. Distracting and unflattering flesh folds. The whole ensemble, included shoes, seems a bit too disco for a state dinner. My humble opinion.
Modern, majestic, stunning!!!This is the face of of the 21st century First Lady perfected. I absolutely adore this President and First Lady, what can I say? They make us all so very proud.
Ari, her feet and hands are always impeccable. It's very telling in a very good way.
@Dlev, I absolutely love the dress (and the curly hair) but I agree. Something is wrong with the bodice. Can't figure out if it's too tight or exactly what's going on. It's a shame, Michelle looks so beautiful but I noticed the distortion on that side right away.
This time, however, I think the length is just right. Finally, she doesn't have to hold up the gown when she walks. Love the shoes, belt, and earrings!
Mrs. O looks like a Goddess! Love the curly locks.
I am speechless! Breathtaking! Love the new hairstyle. That was totally unexpected. I would love to see some color added to her hair one day as her next new thing. Go Mrs. O! Obama 2012!
The dress is beautiful, but it would be even more so if the bodice was tailored to Mrs. O. She deserves to have perfectly fitting clothes and often does not. This is a good example, I'm afraid.
Wonder Woman! Peter Soronen keeps topping himself. Great look from hair folicle to toenail.
Oh Wow! I love it. She looks like a Greek Goddess! Everything Peter Soren designs for her is lovely.
I am loving the curled tossled hair. It looks great on her. Earrings, shoes and make-up are just perfect.
@ Briana...I agree with you. It's not a fashion face-off. I think FL Margarita Zavala looks lovely.
Mrs. O is more Lady Di than Jackie O, IMO. Jackie was conservative and traditional whereas Lady Di was very contemporary and experimetal. What better accessory for a beautiful dress than the most powerful manin the world. Go diva!
Can we have the low-down on the earrings and shoes please??!!! I want those earrings. I notice the fashion trend in jewelry displays right now is "stacked bracelets". The FLOTUS is definitely a trendsetter.
At the hemline you can see the silver layer. The work on this dress is amazing.
Love the light pink mani-ped and lipstick. I think her dark eyebrows are wonderful. She should keep this as a daytime look (just toned down a little for day.) Awesome smoky eyes!
jewel of the nile indeeed....positively stunning! phew!
Has anyone coined the term "Michelle Glo-bama" yet?
Our First Lady does us all proud again.
I am probably the only one not liking the gown but I think the material is too shiny and therefore not elegant. I think the belt doesn't blend in very well and I think it's too tight in the bust area and it's cutting through her body. It's a lot of fabric and her hair is very busy and it just doesn't measure up to what she wore last year. My personal opinion on it.
Love the whole look of Mrs. O!
Mrs. Z's dress is okay; I wish it was more glittery though.
Goddess!!!
A corset will suck in the waist and push out the bosom. This tidbit is for the ladies who don't know.
lol a belted evening gown, that ought to drive some folks up the wall. mrs. o looks gorgeous as usual, her earrings are stunning, and the color is perfect on her.
I understand what people are saying about the bodice looking like it's pushing her around, but I really think this is because we are seeing a still photograph of a woman who is moving . Peter Soronen is known for his highly constructed bodices, and that is what we are seeing - lots of boning and other support for 3 very lightweight fabrics that would not stand up on their own. At first I was not crazy about what I thought was a blue lame, but several of the photos show the solid electric blue chiffon sliding over the silver lame, and it's really beautiful. I especially like it because it's such an unexpected combination of colors and textures.
Are there photos of the back of the dress? One link above shows her from the side, and the corset detail looks like it has very long laces that fall to the hem. Very intriguing.
I jove her hair and shoes. And I am definitely doing soft, pearly pink toenails at my next pedi!
Are these more Bochic earrings??
I love the hair, makeup, shoes, dress and just think she is wonderful. The fit, however, bothers me a bit. It actually looks like it's cutting into her body on the right side. I do love Sorenson's designs, but I wish he would change the cut of those tops. It just looks uncomfortable--and takes away from the wonderfulness of the dress. She is a beauty--that First Lady of ours.
Thanks Mrs T. Althougth I am from Asia, i enjoy visiting this site to see Mrs Obama style.
The colour and the flow of this dress looks great on Mrs Obama. As she is tall, she is able to carry it well.
Just a small note, I feel that it looks uncomfotable on her left side. Looks abit ill fitted. It is more obvious at the close up shots.
Regards
OMG!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!OMG!!!!!!!!!
This is picture perfect. The color of her dress! Love the curls!
BEAUTIFUL FROM HEAD TO TOE!!!!! Mrs.Obama (pardon me Dr. Obama )was truly born for this!!!!
She personifies Maya Angelou poem "Phenomenal Woman".
loves everything about her.
I don't agree that the dress doesn't fit. It's a tightly corsetted dress and she is a living, moving woman with flesh and folds and breasts -- not a plastic Barbie doll.
I think she looks gorgeous. Beautiful and majestic. Michelle inspires me to be the best I can be. The best woman and the best mother.
And, Heather ... me and you both.
I am sorry President Obama but your wife continues to "steal the show". She looks stunning!!!
She looks fabulous FULL STOP!
Are we allowed to disagree on Michele's style ?
This electric blue dress is, in my view, a very low point in fashion for Michele. When she decided to wear this one (who advised her ?!?!?!), taste and refinement left for a vacation ... why ?!?!
I wish she would wear her hair like this all of the time. She looks so much better with soft curls around her face. I do not like her harsh, dowdy, daily do -- she looks 10 years older.
Tsetse Johnson ,
An honorary doctorate is just that honorary and does not confer onto the recipient the same assignation of an earned doctorate. MLRO gave a speech, they honored her for making that speech by conferring upon her an honorary degree, but that doesn't mean she has earned the title or the privilege of being referred to as Dr.
I was wondering how long that was going to take (sigh).
gasp! michelle is so incredibly beautiful
Love it all!! She is beautiful, he is handsome....what a wonderful couple...I'm so proud of our First Couple (and haven't felt this way since Camelot)
Michelle Obama holds the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence from Harvard Law School. Although attorneys rarely are referred to as Doctor, certainly she could appropriately be given that title.
Lovely azure and silver color combo and for once I don't hate the belt, but the bust does not fit well; it is way too tight and gives a weird effect. Love the accessories, but not particularly liking the hairdo; I understand she was going for the tousled curls look but it ended p a tad too messy. The makeup is nice minus the overarched brows. All in all, great concept, but the devil is in the details, which causes the look to be not as polished as it should be.
*Three snaps up!!!* The First Lady wows again!
I wish I didn't automatically compare it to the first State Dinner dress but since I did, this does not live up to it.
She usually doesn't coordinate her eye shadow with her outfit so that was surprising, I like the curls better when she wore them with the Kai MIlla dress at the Stevie tribute.
I don't like the structure of the dress, but I love that the belt and earrings match. Love the shoes, I could easily see her wearing them again with a whole host of other outfits.
The fit IS weird, even though outfits often look different in still photographs or photographers take a pic from a bad angle, a mark of a well tailored outfit is it still looks good despite that. Mrs O had a strapless gown on at the first State Dinner and it didn't cut into her chest like this does.
All in all though, I'm happy their State Dinner was a success, I hope it succeeds in its goal, which is to further diplomatic ties between us and Mexico.
i love most of her looks.
this is not my favorite.
FLOTUS looks wonderful. I am so proud to call Mrs. Obama the First Lady. I just love the hairdo too. Mr. President, you are one lucky man.
DAMN!!!
Wow and more wow! Absolutely beautiful color on Mrs. O. and her hair looks entirely fabulous! What is this fabric?
I think this is a beautiful dress, but I have to agree that the fit of the bodice is not the best. The way it digs into Mrs. O.'s flesh on her right side looks absolutely painful, and it certainly looks as if she is standing still in these photos.
All I have to say to the bodice-haters is......does she LOOK uncomfortable? 'Nuff said. And anyone who thinks that this gown and color don't look gorgeous on her needs to make an emergency appointment with Lenscrafters. This is one of her top looks for sure.
I'm with Miss Mica. Honestly, this dress has a terrible fit at the top. It looks way too tight, and frankly: very uncomfortable for the First Lady! I don't really like the fabric either (too shiny), and too many pleats making it "wide". Impeccable hair, make-up and shoes though! Love those!!
TseTse Johnson - In fact, some universities confer the title of "Doctor" upon honorary recipients and said recipients are allowed to refer to themselves using the title - Maya Angelou is among those recipients who does use her honorary title.. In fact, some universities award the same privileges to recipients of honorary doctorates as those who put themselves through an official program. The rules vary according to the academic discipline.
And, in fact, Mrs. O's lovely gown did match the tablecloths that were used for the function honoring the Mexican President and First Lady.
This dress is in every way perfect on Mrs. Obama. The fit of the bodices subtly emphasizes that there is a REAL woman under there, not a stick-thin model. I like to line from underarm to underarm across the front, very modest without being prim but stops just short of sexy. Dignified, appropriate, and very very formal. Most impressive of all is the way she wears the dress. Everything about her sends the clear message that she is comfortable in the body God gave her!
I love the color and style of the dress. Her hair looks great and the smokey eye make-up is just beautiful.