Return to the Chic Sheath

Images by Jim Young / Reuters, Jim Watson / Getty Images

Mrs. O chose a classic, fitted sheath dress for the State of the Union address this evening. The look recalls Mrs. O's early Maria Pinto dresses circa 2008, though the designer of this dress proves to be Rachel Roy. The Rachel Roy silver silk shift dress is part of the designer's Fall 2012 collection. The First Lady kept accessories to a minimum, wearing drop earrings and a stack of lucite bangle bracelets, all by Kara Ross. Simple and chic.

Of note, Mrs. O is seated with the family of Christina Taylor Green, who was killed in the Tuscon, Arizona shootings earlier this month. The First Lady is also wearing a black and white lapel ribbon in honor or Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Mentor O

Photo by Jose Luis Magana / AP Photos

The First Lady supported one of her pet causes today, speaking at the 2011 National Mentoring Summit held at the Library of Congress in Washington. For the event, Mrs. O wore a mix of printed metallic neutrals, pairing a floral top with a pencil skirt. Also on the agenda: hugs. 

"First lady calls for more people to mentor youth" [AP]

P.S. Reader Tammy spotted Mrs. O's blouse over at J.Crew. The Goldenrod Brocade Top can be found here.

WWD on Mrs. O, Oscar de la Renta

Almost a week after the state dinner, there is a substantial new piece in WWD today by Executive Editor Bridget Foley. The topic? Mrs. O's choice of an Alexander McQueen gown and Oscar de la Renta's seeming lone dissent. The full piece is available here, and is worth a read. A few excerpts follow below:

“This is an important issue,” de la Renta elaborated on Friday, the day WWD’s item ran. “Some people did not get the point. It’s not [intended] to be negative. Do you think Kate Middleton is going to be married in Marc Jacobs? Or you’d see Carla Bruni dressing in American clothes? This is a big industry in this country. Mrs. Obama does look great. She should take that and do something. She could do a great good for our industry. We need to create jobs here, create jobs on Seventh Avenue, too.”

Oscar’s point is well taken for a number of reasons. All Michelle Obama wardrobe sightings — and thus, for lack of a better term, product placements — are not created equal. A White House Christmas party or a school visit doesn’t have the same resonance as it did two years ago, or as an event of major international interest today. Then there’s the overt context of President Hu’s visit — to discuss trade — and, for this industry, its fashion subtext: China is redefining the global luxury and apparel industries at both the producer and consumer sides. 

President Obama expressed one of his goals as simply as possible when he told President Hu in front of the cameras, “We want to sell you all kinds of stuff. We want to sell you planes. We want to sell you cars. We want to sell you software…” 

Thus, the billing of Wednesday’s soiree as quintessentially American, inclusive of steak, Idaho potatoes and jazz after dinner. Yet there was Michelle Obama flaunting an Alexander McQueen dress. If perhaps unrealistic to wish that the President had added fashion to his above product litany — although why not? — might not Michelle Obama have chosen to send the message visually?

[....] 

De la Renta suggested that Mrs. Obama might have worn something from one of the younger designers whom she supports so enthusiastically, many of whom make at least some of their clothes on Seventh Avenue. As this was a power summit of sorts, the powerful Ralph Lauren might have made sense as well. Or perhaps an artful look from the most famous Chinese-American designer — and dinner guest — Vera Wang. 

To wear something other than American at this particular trade-centric mega-fete embarrasses a major U.S. industry that continues to need all the help it can get.

Yet, except from one lone voice crying out from his stronghold at 550 Seventh Avenue, who is delivering that message? Where is the lobbying, from individual designers, or from the CFDA as an institution? If one maintains that fashion is a global industry and countrywide promotion is outdated and jingoistic, then what exactly is the CFDA’s raison d’etre? Conversely, if one believes that a little nationalistic marketing is beneficial to the American industry, then why is Oscar a lobby of one?

The debate raises interesting questions about the role, responsibilities and power of Mrs. O's wardrobe. A dress will seldom simply be a dress for the First Lady. We'll see Mrs. O again tonight at the State of the Union address, scheduled to begin at 9pm EST. Last year Mrs. O wore Isaac Mizrahi. This year?

P.S. One more related read:

"The CFDA Verdict" [Vogue.com UK]

Suits and Pearls

Images by Kevin Lamarque / Reuters Pictures

First Lady Mrs. O and Dr. Jill Biden joined the President in the East Room of the White House today to announce a new pledge to support military families. 

“These are lasting commitments by the government to address your needs and concerns for years to come. And my hope is that these recommendations will live on no matter the president, no matter the party,” said the First Lady.

Mrs. O will travel to Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC to speak about the new pledge for military families this Thursday. The same day, Mrs. O will also appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to promote the cause. 

On a style note, both Mrs. O and Dr. B turned to suits and pearls for this appearance, showcasing two distinct variations on the same concept. The First Lady wore a grey tweed skirt suit, paired with a triple strand of pearls. Dr. B dressed in a mix of neutrals, combining a taupe skirt with an ivory tuxedo jacket. Pearl accessories completed the look. 

"Obama Pledges More Support for Military Families" [ABC News]

A New "Shadow Stylist"?

When this blog began in 2008, the process of identifying Mrs. Obama's designers was much different than it is now. Now, there are press releases, media blasts and a slew of fashion savvy readers to fill in the gaps. Then, there was the more laborious task of scouring style.com, fueled by the key bit of information that Mrs. Obama shopped loyally at Maria Pinto and Ikram, both in Chicago. As Mrs. Obama turned less to Maria Pinto, Ikram's list of designers became a reliable short list for what Mrs. Obama might wear. The list includes designers like Thakoon, Narciso Rodriguez, Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu –names heard often in the last months of the presidential campaign and Mrs. Obama's first year in the White House.

The relationship between Mrs. Obama and Ikram Goldman has been largely shrouded in secrecy. We do know that it is almost certainly more involved than that of a typical boutique owner and patron. Ms. Goldman has been respectfully quiet on the matter, as has the White House, except to offer: "Mrs. Obama has shopped at Ikram’s store for years and appreciates her shared interest in working with a broad spectrum of designers, including many young and up-and-coming designers." 

That quote came from a splashy New York Times piece by Cathy Horyn and Eric Wilson, which did its best to “out” the relationship between Mrs. Obama and Ikram Goldman, and stir up something of a controversy surrounding the style partnership. "Behind the First Lady, a Shadow Stylist," was published in February 2009.

Where some saw tension, others saw a perfect union. Women who have shopped at Ikram will tell you that Ikram Goldman is a master at what she does. They speak of her discerning eye, her ability to mix the unexpected, to know her customers thoroughly. She is said to think of fashion from every angle, imbuing choices with intelligence and message.

Mrs. Obama's style in the White House has often put these characteristics on full display. For the inauguration, an Isabel Toledo ensemble in lemongrass yellow cued sunny optimism in the midst of a dark recession. When the First Lady met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in July 2009, head to toe Moschino was worn, an indication that fashion would be used to honor the culture and heritage of others. Then, in November 2009, Mrs. Obama welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur to the White House dressed in a handcrafted, sequin gown by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan. 

There was a pattern forming. Mrs. Obama’s choices were smart and communicative. The forethought and utmost attention to detail was undeniable. The styling read of Ikram Goldman, even if no formal credit was sought or given. Mrs. Obama's creative use of accessories even signaled the boutique owner’s hallmark touch. Eclectic Tom Binns necklaces were paired with corseted Peter Soronen gowns. Pins were worn, not in a traditional way, but clustered at the collar of dresses.

What follows is not meant to be a criticism, not in the very least, but rather, an observation. From watching the First Lady's style over the past year, it appears that something has changed – and that something, may be Ikram.

Mrs. Obama’s repertoire of designers has expanded drastically in recent months, to include new names such Dries Van Noten, Marc Jacobs, Roksanda Ilincic, and even vintage Norman Norell. A diverse wardrobe is growing more diverse, and fast. Ikram Goldman has been known to source clothing for the First Lady from designers not always carried in her boutique, but Chicago is a fashion market of "exclusives," and it's unlikely that Ms. Goldman would secure pieces from designers carried by her competitors. For example, Blake, another high-end store in Chicago, carries Dries Van Noten and Roksanda Ilincic. These designers are not stocked at Ikram. Which raises the question: if not Ikram, who secured pieces from these designers for the First Lady?

One answer might be Meredith Koop. In April 2010, Politico.com ran a short, unnoticed piece on Mrs. Obama's "secret style weapon." Koop is a 28-year-old White House aide rumored to play a "pivotal role" in the First Lady's style. At this point, little else is known about her position. But why the move away from Ikram? Logistics and location are one possibility. It may simply be more convenient to have someone Washington-based at the helm of Mrs. Obama’s complex wardrobe. Robin Givhan offered another possible hint with this November 2009 tweet: "Ikram in DC 'selling Michelle dresses she can't afford.' so sayeth a source."

This topic may feel irrelevant to some, but in the context of Mrs. Obama’s broader style influence, and her impact on our sartorial social history, it feels worth asking – who's influencing Mrs. O?

The First Lady’s Alexander McQueen gown for the state dinner, designed by McQueen's successor, Sarah Burton, was gorgeous. It offered the high-wattage glamour we've come to know and love in Mrs. Obama's wardrobe, balancing tradition with modernity, strength with femininity. While critics offered praise, one contrarian view came to light. Oscar de la Renta wondered aloud, why, on an occasion meant to foster Chinese-American trade, Mrs. Obama chose to wear "European clothes.”

Mr. de la Renta's track record of commentary aside, it's not an entirely unfair question – not because the choice was right or wrong, but because it broke with Mrs. Obama's precedent. "Unexpected" has been the ubiquitous word used to describe the choice. Perhaps it's merely that, another twist in the First Lady’s ever-evolving, public style – but might it signal something more? Is there new influence on Mrs. Obama's style? Are we seeing less of Ikram’s magic? This blogger would love to know.