Mrs. O in Isabel Toledo

Photo by Mandel Ngan / Getty Images

The President and First Lady returned to Washington, D.C. last evening after attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York City. For the return trip, Mrs. O donned one of her Isabel Toledo dresses, last seen in 2009, here.

Blue Belle

Images by Carolyn Kaster / AP Photos, Jason Reed / Reuters

The President and First Lady hosted a celebration of American poetry and prose at the White House last evening. For the event, Mrs. O donned a vibrant blue tunic and pants. Any thoughts on the designer? My guess would be Isabel Toledo, as the ensemble harkens past Mrs. O x Isabel Toledo numbers, seen here and here.

Update: I've confirmed that Mrs. O wears a peacock blue jersey tunic and cocktail pants by Isabel Toledo. What a wonderful choice for this event! 

Target-ed Style

Images courtesy of Target

Fashion blogs have been abuzz with coverage of the new 136,000 square foot Target store that opened in East Harlem last week, with an opening party held Tuesday, July 20.

To celebrate the new store, exclusive designer collections for Target were revealed -- beach gear by Isabel and Ruben Toledo and colorblock knit dresses by Stephen Burrows (see above).

What's the tie to Mrs. O? Yesterday, we learned the designer of the "sunrise yellow" pantsuit the first lady wore last week -- Stephen Burrows. Now, how interesting that Mrs. O wore said pantsuit by Stephen Burrows on June 19, followed by an Isabel Toledo ensemble for the National Design Awards luncheon on June 21.

A coincidence? Or was Mrs. O, a self-proclaimed Target fan, showing support for the designers and their new collections? If the latter, what a fabulously clever use of fashion on the first lady's part. What do you think?

Splendid in Isabel Toledo

The first lady wore a splendid pink Isabel Toledo ensemble, embellished with a stunning Erickson Beamon pin at the shoulder, to host a White House luncheon for recipients of the National Design Awards. Among those to be honored by the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, are sister-design duo (and Mrs. O favorite) Rodarte. Per the AP, the first lady called the winners "some of our country's most talented, most visionary, most public-minded designers."

In her own subtle way, it seemed perhaps Mrs. O was honoring design talents Isabel Toledo and Erickson Beamon too! On hand to see the ensemble, the AP describes it as, "a V-neck top, drapes of fabric at the waist and loose flowing pants."

One tidbit to share, pointed out by "Meredith P":  Upon learning that she would be seated next to Tim Gunn, the first lady said, "How cool!" And it seems the feeling are mutual. Tim Gunn later took to Facebook, writing:

"Hi everyone! I just had to get on Facebook and share the incredible day I had with you. I had the absolute honor and privilege of being seated next to Michelle Obama today at a lunch held to honor National Design Award winners at the White House. She is so stunning! I literally could spend each afternoon with her - it was such a pleasure!"

To see PHOTOS of Mrs. O's Isabel Toledo pantsuit, click here and here. There is a good deal of similarity between this pink ensemble and the black Isabel Toledo tunic and pants that Mrs. O wore to a Vogue/Calvin Klein fundraiser in 2008, seen here. Also to mention, NY Mag reports that the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte were unfortuantely unable to attend the White House luncheon.

The Best of 2009

Before the clock strikes midnight and this officially becomes the second day of 2010, I wanted to take a look back through 2009 to highlight a few favorite Mrs. O ensembles of the year. With my top five outlined below, I'd also love to hear your favorite picks.

#1 Orange gold Rodarte dress in Copenhagen worn with a trio of vintage brooches / October 1, 2009

While the Olympic bid for Chicago was not a success, the trip to Copenhagen did bring one of Mrs. O's most stunning style moments of the year. The first lady has improved perceptions of American culture abroad, in part, by projecting elegance and sophistication through her style. It is a powerful, smart use of fashion, purely embodied through the Rodarte dress and vintage pins below, worn as Mrs. O represented the United States on a world stage in Copenhagen.

Photos by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

#2 Peter Soronen Twilight Gown paired with a Tom Binns necklace for the National Governors' Association Dinner / February 22, 2009

The National Governors' Association Dinner happened to fall on the same night as the Oscars, and as one flicked from TV to laptop screen, it was hard to remember which was which. Mrs. O looked unlike any first lady had looked before in her sequined Peter Soronen corset gown, accessorized with ropes of crystals and pearls by Tom Binns. It was the perfect union of classic glamour and modern edge, and certainly one of the most exciting looks of the year.

Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

#3 Isabel Toledo lemongrass dress and coat chosen for the inauguration / January 20, 2009

Many Americans were introduced to Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo on January 20, enchanted by her inaugural creation for our new first lady. Amidst a sea of navy and black wool winter coats, the eye was instantly drawn to Mrs. O's bold lemongrass hue, which projected an optimistic mood on the cold winter morning.

The ensemble in its entirety is an example of classic Mrs. O style. With the Isabel Toledo dress and coat, Mrs. O wore a Nina Ricci cardigan, a vintage pin from the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection at the collar, green Jimmy Choo heels and J.Crew leather gloves -- a mix of price points and aesthetics, and a fresh play on color.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

#4 Alaia dress worn for American Ballet Opening Night Spring Gala in New York City / May 18, 2009

Throughout the year, we saw the first lady embrace a wide range of fashion talent -- young, up and comers; established, mainstream labels; and a handful of lesser known, semi-couturiers. Significant among those is Azzedine Alaia, who has been described as the "last true couturier." Mrs. O publicly wore Alaia for the first time during the G-20 and NATO summits overseas in April. Soon following, she chose this frock, said to have been a long-time favorite in her closet, to wear to the American Ballet Opening in New York. The touch of sparkle and structured construction made it one of the best looks of the year.

Image via a kind, anonymous friend

#5 Violet Jason Wu dress with french knot embroidery, worn for a White House kitchen event / February 23, 2009

When seen from afar, one might perceive a simple, printed cocktail dress in this Jason Wu frock. But viewed up close, we discover thousand of hand embroidered knots, clustered in florets to create the pattern on the backdrop of violet fabric. As we whiz through glossy magazine pages, it's often easy to overlook the fine craftsmanship that goes into beautiful dresses. But we see a prime example of it here, offering an entirely new, substantive dimension to following the first lady's style.

White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian