Must Read Mrs. O
Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 8:32 AM No story is complete without perspective from The Daily Beast's Robin Givhan, who has more insight to offer than almost anyone else, having spent considerable time at the White House over the past two years. This latest story looks at why we care about Mrs. O’s style again, echoing many sentiments shared here in the past two weeks, both in posts and comments. Do be sure to read through to the end, where Robin Givhan elaborates on how the roles of Ikram Goldman and Meredith Koop have evolved.
"Michelle Obama Style: Why We Care Again" [The Daily Beast]
In other news, Sally Singer, editor-in-chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine was interviewed on Morning Joe yesterday and offered this:
“I actually think the problem with the dress was [that] it didn’t fit her well. It’s not the right dress for her. It was then worn again by Mila Kunis and it should be worn by a diminutive, younger woman… It was the wrong dress for her. I think she’s a beautiful woman… and it didn’t flatter her.”
“I think for American designers this was a moment to say something about American style, to say something about America’s trade relationship with China, and to go to an English design house with European backing seems like an odd choice — and a strange choice for her because for so long she’s been so good with making symbolic choices.”
"Sally Singer on Michelle Obama's McQueen Dress" [NYMag]
Reader Comments (9)
Wow, Robin Givhan is a very talented writer. She writes so beautifully and thoughtfully.
I am a big fan of Robin Givhan, I think she is an elegant and perceptive writer, and I've disagreed with her on more than few things. But this article left me a little bit cold. I feel like it ended abruptly, and it didn't quite live up to the headline's promise: just why DOES Robin think that "we care again?" It just seems like it was a well-told recap of the "controversy;" nicely written, but I want Robin's take on the situation.
And I think it's only fair that Robin should note that she was leading the charge against Michelle for wearing shorts on Air Force One. That was more than just a brief comment on Robin's part: she wrote about it and she was on TV commenting about it. That was one of the occasions where I disagreed with Robin.
Anyway, it's not a bad article at all, I'm glad to read it, but I wish that Robin had brought more to it. Even when I don't agree with her she makes me think.
can we move on from this please. Mrs. Obama will wear what makes her happy, not what is dictated to her by the racist Fashion industry. Robyn let it go.
Hadley Freeman, American writer for The Guardian (UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/02/kate-middleton-british-designers
I am surprised that you give so much praise to Robyn. I have always found her reporting to be less than substantive, catty, full of gossip and innuendos, and without facts to support her assumptions. I do not have respect for her and do not trust anything she writes. She never writes from a purely fashion perspective. I think the best thing was when the WaPo didn't fight to keep her.
I enjoyed Robyn's report very much.
My issue is with Sally Stringer from the NYT and everyone else who's losing their minds over the McQueen. I thought it fit well and I liked the assymetrical cut. Bottom line: IT WAS STUNNING!! To suggest that only "a diminuitive, younger woman" should wear a dress like that is silly and beyond rude. If you watch the video, you can hear Mika gasp when Sally said that.
FLOTUS is a Princeton/Harvard grad. I'm sure even she (as hard as it is for them to grasp) understands geopolitics and the significance of the color red in Chinese culture. Plus FLOTUS likes to wear colors and jazz things up. In the end... it's just a dress.
I'm with Claire. I find Ms Givhan's approach very snide and often undermines Mrs O, carefully and calculatedly.
As for this:
“I actually think the problem with the dress was [that] it didn’t fit her well. It’s not the right dress for her. It was then worn again by Mila Kunis and it should be worn by a diminutive, younger woman… It was the wrong dress for her. I think she’s a beautiful woman… and it didn’t flatter her.”
What utter tosh. It fityed beautifully and it is insulting in the extreme to say that a dress can only be worn by a certain age group when Mrs O looked so STUNNING in it! Honestly, the hypocrisy of fashion writers never fails to astound me. What a pile of codswallop. Get better glasses and a WAY better attitude.
What were these people looking at? Mrs. O wore the heck out of that dress.
No reference has been made to FLOTUS wearing that beautiful dress designed by someone who died (i.e),killed himself. McQueen was an amazing, controversial designer who killed himself. He will no longer be creating fashion, designing dresses, outfits, facrics. Perhaps FLOTUS was channeling his amazing creativity and not being particularly thinking on 'I must wear American' - there's plenty of other times that she wears American, and a. looks good, and b. sells American clothing lines. She doesn't have to do that 24/7. Michelle in McQueen was a fitting tribute to an amazing designer who drew inspiration from his country's traditions but felt no obligations to be imprisoned by them - just like Mrs O.