A Black Belt in Corsetry

Image used with kind permission from Seedhouse / Peter Soronen

Last week, Mrs. O attended Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" gala in New York, wearing a Michael Kors gown and corset belt by Peter Soronen.

While photographs highlighted the delicate folds of the front of the corset belt, little was revealed about the back. We're delighted to feature both views of the exquisite belt here; and indeed, the back view is quite telling. Many of you will recall that the waist-cinching lace-up detail is similar to the striking red corset gown, also by Peter Soronen, worn by the First Lady for the Alfalfa Club dinner in February.

Corsetry is a trademark of Peter Soronen's designs. In late March, he told the The National of his inspiration: "When I was a kid, I liked the silver-screen films and the characters' costumes were inspirational to me, especially in films such as Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman, and also Gone with the Wind. I was fascinated with watching period films, and saw the level of care and craftsmanship of the costumes, and what the corsets worn did to the overall look. So, I just had to make one, and tried to get girlfriends to wear them. They loved the pieces and I began to alter the patterns to fit the modern woman."

A Vision in Magenta

Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Mrs. O attended the White House Correspondents Dinner this evening wearing a fitted fuchsia sheath dress and bejeweled statement necklace. Pictured with the First Lady is Doug Mills, a photographer for the New York Times.

Update: Mrs. O wears a magenta double face stretch wool crepe scoop neck sheath dress by Michael Kors. 

To hear the President's remarks -- and see Mrs. O flex her fabulous arms -- watch the video below:

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Mrs. O Out On The Town

Image via DC365

Mrs. O had a lunch date at Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill yesterday. According to the New York Post, Mrs. O ordered the President Obama burger topped with bacon, blue cheese, homemade onion marmalade and a horseradish mayo.

Mrs. O was joined by her staff, including press secretary Katie McCormick Lelyveld. "Sometimes you just need a burger," said McCormick Lelyveld to the Washington Post.  "It was her idea."

We are loving Mrs. O's tote! Thank you for everyone who contributed links.

Assorted Reading

While Mandi Norwood's Michelle Style has been getting a bit of buzz this week, it's not the only new Mrs. O read in the style section. (Of note: Mrs. O wears a rarely seen Narciso Rodriguez dress on the cover. She wore the same dress to a campaign event in September, seen here.)

Fashion Week Daily has released a special edition of their mini-mag to chronicle Mrs. O's First 100 day of Style. The images and information are familiar, but to experience them all at once, in their high resolution, glossy page glory, is quite a treat. We especially loved the tribute to Mrs. O's favorite designers. The mini-mags are available on newstands and in major bookstores. They can also be bought online here.

Finally, our friends at InStyle have shared their latest photo gallery -- First Lady Style: 10 Tips to Make the Most of What You've Got -- definitely worth a peek!

Correction: Mrs. O in Michael Kors

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Time Inc.

A lesson in always confirming things yourself...

Yesterday we reported that Mrs. O's stunning black gown, worn for Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People Gala, was the work of Azzedine Alaia. The information was sourced from Red Carpet Fashion Awards, a fantastic and highly reliable site. We all make mistakes, and unfortunately, we've learned that this information is inaccurate.

In fact, First Lady Mrs. O wears a Michael Kors square neck tank gown, made from stretch double face wool crepe. (Kudos to desertwind and Janelle who had their money on Kors from the start!) As previously reported, the corset belt is Peter Soronen.