Mrs. O's Bangles and More

Image by Jim Watson / Getty Images

After it was sorted that Rachel Roy designed Mrs. O's silver sheath dress for the State of the Union, the next question seemed to be: who was behind those fabulous bangles? 

Women's Wear Daily provided the answer Friday, with a profile on New York-based jewelry designer Kara Ross. Not only was Mrs. O wearing Kara Ross jewelry, the designer has created an exclusive White House collection for visiting heads of state. More fantastic yet, the materials were sourced from White House grounds.

“The Chief of Protocols’ office saw we did wood jewelry, and they wanted to have some things made by an American artist for Michelle Obama to give to visiting heads of state. They sent us this big chunk of wood from the White House lawn,” recalled Ross. “We made some pieces with it and on each one we wrote, ‘Designed Exclusively for Michelle Obama by Kara Ross.’ 

"I thought, ‘How great, with a visiting head of state, giving them a gift by a) an American artist and b) it’s literally a piece that originated from the White House.’ I thought it was awesome that they even thought of me, to be honest with you.”

After the completion of the project, Kara Ross sent the White House several pieces from her Gemstone collection, which we've seen on the First Lady in recent weeks, notably the State of the Union.

A Kara Ross wood shirt cuff designed for the White House:

 

"Michelle Obama Puts Kara Ross on World Stage" [WWD]

Must Read Mrs. O

Not much time, but wanted to share the following stories. More later. Happy Friday!

"About That McQueen Dress" [On the Runway / NYTimes]

Bonus: In passing, the story includes an answer to the question posed here Monday. It seems Ikram Goldman is no longer involved in Mrs. O's wardrobe.

"For what it’s worth, I hear that Ikram Goldman, the Chicago retailer, is no longer directly involved with Mrs. Obama’s wardrobe, since December."

"Michelle Obama McQueengate Slogs On" [NYMag]

"Michelle Obama Shrugs Off Oscar de la Renta Jab" [Politics Daily]

"Boosting America, in Her Own Fashion" [Op-Ed / NYTimes]

"Michelle Obama Puts Kara Ross on World Stage" [WWD]

A Day of Basic Training

Images by Mary Chastain / Reuters

Today was a tour de force for Mrs. O and her support of the military. As the First Lady appeared on Oprah's "America's Bravest Families" episode, she was also at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina to speak at basic training graduation and promote "Let's Move." From CNN:

"Obama attended a briefing led by Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, the Army's Deputy Commanding General for training, on the poor state of physical fitness for today's youth, and the difficulty for the military to attract new recruits who can meet basic fitness standards. Of the 129,000 new recruits every year, approximately 40 percent are overweight."

On a style note, Mrs. O braved the chilly east coast weather in a grey wool coat with geometric seam detailing by Narciso Rodriguez. Inside, Mrs. O dressed in a gray pantsuit, accessorized with an Alexis Bittar Elongated Marquis pin, available here.

"First Lady takes healthy eating message to military" [CNN]

Mrs. O and Oprah Unite

Mrs. O will join Tom Brokaw and Bob Woodward for Oprah's "The Bravest Families in America" episode, on air tomorrow. To read up on the episode, People.com has a post here.

While fashion is not the main focus tomorrow, Mrs. O's dress and necklace demand a quick mention. For the appearance, the First Lady recycles a purple wool crepe dress by Prabal Gurung, first seen on the campaign trail in October, here. Mrs. O paired her frock with a fabulous FALLON Victoria Royale necklace from Fall Winter 2010.

For those who use Twitter, there was a quite a bit of excitment between @PrabalGurung and @FentonFallon regarding the pairing. So much so that it prompted this article:

"Can Michelle Obama Spurn a Fashion Collaboration?" [Elle]

Malia Obama's Fashion Moment

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Those who wanted a good dose of American fashion at the state dinner will now get it! Thread NY reports that Malia Obama wore a Chris Benz Spring 2010 sequin tank and skirt to last week's fete. The pieces originate from the designer's Spring 2010 collection, seen here. 

It seems Malia Obama's ascension into high fashion runs parallel to that of Mr. Benz. Prior to starting his eponymous line, Benz was a designer of dresses and special occasion at J.Crew.