Influence and Inspiration

Happy Saturday! While we await Mrs. O's appearance at the University of California, Merced, we wanted to share two pieces that inspired us this week.

The first is from Janelle, a regular on Mrs-O.org. Some of you may have already caught this in the comments, but we thought it merited a post of its own (which Janelle has kindly agreed to).

Janelle writes:

"The day of the Sojourner Truth event, after getting designer info from Mrs. T as to who designed the marvelous shirt dress Mrs. O wore, I went to Sophie Theallet’s website and sent a quick email thanking her for using women of color for a lot of her designs on the website. I got an email from her office this evening (I really didn’t expect a reply back at all):"

Dear Janelle,

I am sorry for the late reply, as you can imagine we have been flooded with emails lately. Mrs. Theallet is so proud and grateful that Mrs. Obama wore her dress for this very special occasion. We appreciate you taking the time to write us, it means a lot. Sophie has received much support from her African-American friends since being in the USA -- it means so much to her. Equality and Freedom is something that is so dear to her heart.

Our very best,

Steven for Sophie Theallet

We asked Janelle if she would like to add anything, and she replied:  

"I long to see more diversity on the runways and hope that designers remember that there are women of color out there that do not feel included in fashion design. Even in this economy, a lot of those women are of means and are willing to support an industry that embraces them. I hope that designers also remember that there are millions following the work and fashion of First Lady Michelle Obama, and her influence on what consumers consider purchasing is powerful."

We find this all quite remarkable on a number of levels. As Janelle points out, the fashion industry has long struggled with a lack of diversity, particularly on the runway. It is wonderful to see a designer celebrated for embracing women of color, and in turn, to read of her appreciation for the acknowledgment. Janelle, our deepest thanks for sharing this!

The second piece comes from the University of Minnesota fashion historian Kathleen Campbell of the Goldstein Museum of Design. She weighs in on several themes she sees within Mrs. O's wardrobe, and the influence they may have on culture. One such impact is the potential  "dressing up" of our country's increasingly casual approach to dress. We found this interesting as similar observations have been voiced by Mrs.Oers in the past week. Have a peek:

Purple and Polka Dots (by Lanvin!)

 

Photo by Yuri Gripas / Reuters

We are loving First Lady Mrs. O's Spring wardrobe!

To visit third grade students at Ferebee-Hope Community School in Washington, DC, Mrs. O wore a purple polka dot sleeveless dress.

Update: A gold star for Jahmal, who has correctly identified Mrs. O's polka dot dress as Lanvin! The dress comes from Lanvin's Resort 2009 collection, seen in a full-length navy version here. Jahmal's discovery, here, also includes great detail shots. The silk dress features a draped bodice and a distinctive adornment at the shoulder, made of plastic discs accented with tubes and beads.

Thanks to Political Punch (one of our "go-to"s for Mrs. O coverage), we also have an update on the event:

The First Lady visited a group of third graders at the Ferebee-Hope Community School in Southeast Washington, who participate in the school's after-school program.  According to her press office, her visit was intended to highlight the importance of after-school programs, particularly those for lower-income children.

Mrs. Obama read the book, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst.  Afterwards she and the children talked about what makes a bad day (gum in one's hair, falling in mud on one's birthday) and what to do on such occasions (remember there's always tomorrow).

Update: An important detail we failed to include. Per the Huffington Post, the day also included a meeting with leaders from the dropout prevention organization "Communities In Schools", which provides individual tutoring for the third graders the First Lady met. Thanks to Janelle for pointing us to this Washington Post video:

St. Erasmus Bejeweled Delight

Image used with kind permission from St. Erasmus

We were delighted - this is an understatement - to finally learn more about the stunning statement necklace that First Lady Mrs. O wore with her magenta Michael Kors gown for the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The necklace is the work of St. Erasmus, a three-season-old UK based jewelry line, the brainchild of its designer, Pieter Erasmus. 

The statement necklace is made of fresh-water-pearls, Swarovski crystal and Zari thread. Zari thread, we learned, is a fine gold or silver wire thread usually woven into Indian and Pakistani garments. The designer used the Zari thread to crochet intricate mesh that support the pearls and stones. The pink flower shape is indeed part of the necklace.

Mr. Erasmus is originally from South Africa, and cites Africa as a constant source of inspiration. This particular necklace, he explained, is from the Nizam story in his Spring Summer 2009 collection, which was inspired by the opulence of the Nizam's court in Hyderabad, India during the late 1700s. 

In an email message, the designer said he was, "so delighted to see that Mrs. Obama is supporting fashion for creativity." Well, make that two of us!

St. Erasmus is carried at Harrods and other high-end boutiques overseas; in the US, it is carried exclusively at the Chicago boutique Ikram.

Poetry, Music and Spoken Word (Update)

Photo by Jason Reed / Reuters

First Lady Mrs. O is dazzling this evening, as she and President Mr. O host a poetry jam in the East Room of the White House to celebrate poetry, music and the spoken word. Mrs. O wears an off-the-shoulder top, paired with cropped white pants and silver heels.

Per the White House blog:

"This event is designed around the theme of dialogue, showing how dialogue is important in every aspect of who we are as Americans and as human beings, and demonstrating how communication is a constant throughout the ages."

The evening will include performances by Joshua Bennett, James Earl Jones, Eric Lewis, Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Mayda Del Valle and Esperanza Spalding. 

Students from American, Galludet, Georgetown and Howard universities also have the privilege of attending.

Update: Per NYMag, Mrs. O wears a top by Basso & Brooke, from the design duo's Fall Spring 2009 (thanks mlaiuppa!) collection. A similar dress can be seen here

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Of Stripes and Service (Update)

Photo by Yuri Gripas / Reuters

In her ongoing tour of federal agencies, First Lady Mrs. O gave remarks to the Corporation for National and Community Service at the Ronald Regan building in Washington, D.C. this afternoon.

ABC News Blog, Political Punch, has a recap of the event.

Mrs. O told the audience that community service is "the reason that I breathe, " continuing, "It has become my life's work in so many ways."

Mrs. O wore a black camisole and dress full skirt trimmed in bands of white fabric. Mrs. O paired the dress with a cropped cardigan, the same Azzedine Alaia cardigan worn in Prague, and Jimmy Choo kitten heels.

Update: We've confirmed that Mrs. O's striped skirt is indeed the work of Jasmin Shokrian, handmade in her Los Angeles studio for the First Lady (a huge thank you to our tipster). The designer relays: "The fabric is primarily a vintage double silk crepe. The sheer part of the skirt is a band of handmade caught burlap thread encased in silk chiffon and navy silk charmeuse stripes juxtaposed with bands of  natural cotton muslin."

In an email message from Ms. Shokrian this evening, she relayed her delight, "We are so excited and honored to have Mrs. Obama wearing one of our pieces."

Jasmin Shokrian was born and raised in Los Angeles. She has ties to the Windy City, where she attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, graduating with a BFA in film, painting and sculpture. Ms. Shokrain went on to found a collective with several other Chicago artists, exploring three-dimensional sculpture, often using a fabric as a medium. These projects organically evolved into the production of clothing and other wearable objects. Ms. Shokrian now runs her own label, with a studio in Los Angeles.

Jasmin Shokrian's skirt, in all of its exquisite detail, is featured after the jump:

Image used with kind permission from Jasmin Shokrian