The first lady hosted a student workshop featuring Motown artists in the East Room of the White House today. "The Sound of Young America: The History of Motown" is the latest in a series of White House music events. Participants included singer John Legend, singer Smokey Robinson, Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. and Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli.
For the occasion, the first lady turned to a metallic dot dress, with a ruffle front detail and floral brooch at the collar. Update: Mrs. O wears a J.Crew Fall 2009 dress.
I've gathered, from your emails and comments, that many are eager for a new Mrs. O appearance. Indeed, the first lady's public schedule has been rather light the past two weeks, following a blitz of travel and media to support the first anniversary of "Lets Move".
Last Tuesday, February 15, Mrs. O attended the Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House, though no photos featuring the first lady were released. You can catch a peek of Mrs. O wearing a fabulous emerald green frock and jacket in the last few seconds of the video above. This past weekend, Mrs. O traveled to Vail, Colorado for a private ski weekend with her daughters. And otherwise, things have been quiet!
Here's a look at the Fall 2011 collections from a few of the First Lady's favorites: Jason Wu, Thakoon and Prabal Gurung. What I love most about these videos is that they capture the detail and construction of the garments, often lost in runway photos. They allow us to better understand what Jason Wu intended when he described this collection as his version of "baroque American sportswear." A leaf print blouse features a double organza collar. A lace-trimed sweatshirt is done in cashmere. It's an inspiration, not just for the aesthetics, but for the quality and craft.
The collections from Thakoon and Prabal Gurung were equally delightful. Thakoon put a fresh, new twist on his signature asymmetric dresses with a Masai-inspired pattern and palette. One can imagine Mrs. O choosing one of these bold dresses for a youthful, White House affair. From Prabal Gurung we saw "a return to glamour," as described by the New York Times. The red dress worn by Karlie Kloss has already become one of the signature looks of this fashion week. I loved the strong palette, and particularly the pairing of pink and red in looks 14 and 15. Perhaps Mrs. O, known of her use of color, might too?
P.S. A few more gems (including Anna Wintour on Alexander McQueen's influence):
Barbara Tfank Fall 2011 (click on photo for full collection):
P.S. I would be remiss not to mention Naeem Khan's Fall 2011 collection, which I was delighted to see in person. The beading and embellishment was an inspiration in and of itself. A beaded caftan drew spontaneous applause from the audience, something I'd not witnessed before as a fashion week newcomer. While the looks seemed to scream Oscar more than "Mrs. O", the First Lady will be guaranteed high glamour should she choose any gown from this collection.
Well, apparently this little number is indeed flying off the racks. A salesperson at H&M in Soho informed me that people have been buying the "Michelle Obama dress" non-stop since yesterday afternoon. I managed to grab the last dress at the location on Broadway just below Spring. It is a size 6, and is destined for one of you, dear readers. A little Valentine from me to you!
Please leave a comment on this post by Monday, February 14, 9PM EST if you would like a chance to win the dress. I will then select the lucky recipient using random.org and mail it to you. xo
Update: Random.org has turned up comment #55, reader Yvonne. Hooray! Thank you all for the comments and excitement.
Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 4:46 PM 
