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.

Simply Stunning

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Time Inc.

We are beside ourselves, our First Lady is so beautiful. Really, there are no words.

Mrs. O is in New York City this evening, to address Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" gala.

Update: Red Carpet Fashion Awards reports that Mrs. O wore a simple black sleeveless Azzedine Alaia gown, with a Peter Soronen corset, accessorized with multiple strands of necklaces by Loree Rodkin, and simple diamond stud earrings.

Correction: Mrs. O wears a Michael Kors square neck gown in stretch, double face wool crepe. Photo by The White House

A fantastic slideshow from Talking Points Memo follows here.

REMARKS OF FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE AWARDS New York, NY; May 5, 2009

Thank you Rick for that kind introduction and thank you for including me in tonight's festivities. It is a pleasure to join you all. There are few times in history when the saying 'we are all in this together' would be more applicable than now. Events like this one show how truly connected our world is; how one person's invention can create an entirely new economy; how one person can change how we see the world. The ability of one person to influence the outcome of someone else's life inspires me.

When I made the decision to leave my job to found Public Allies Chicago, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service, I realized right away that I had made the right decision.There are few things more rewarding than watching young people recognize that they have the power to enrich not only their lives, but the lives of others as well. But careers in public service are not always encouraged. We push our young people to strive for things, an advanced degree, a job title, a big salary. Rarely do we urge them to stop and think about what their passion is, what kind of life they want to live, what kind of neighbors and colleagues and parents they want to be. 

In doing so, we, as a society, often miss out on their creativity, their inventiveness, their resourcefulness- and some really good ideas! We also miss out on the opportunity to inspire a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who will direct their energy and talent toward solving their community's - and our nation's - most serious social problems. Careers focused on lifting up our communities - whether helping transform troubled schools or training workers for green jobs or helping low-income families access health care - are not always obvious. But, at a time when our nation is facing unprecedented challenges, encouraging careers in public service and social innovation is more important than ever. Already, we are seeing young people leading the way with their entrepreneurial spirit, energy and commitment to serving their communities.

For example, Charles Best, a former Bronx public school teacher, started an online philanthropic marketplace called Donors Choose to help teachers who were spending up to $500 a year out of their own pockets for basic classroom materials. Through Donors Choose, ordinary citizens can directly fund projects initiated by enterprising public school teachers. Online donations have helped students in San Jose become avid readers through the Dr. Seuss series. An art class in the Bronx had no paint brushes. Now every student has a set.

Rebecca Onie is a social entrepreneur who founded "Project Health" to help break the link between poverty and poor health. I remember meeting Rebecca when I was at the University of Chicago and I was very impressed with her. Rebecca organizes college students to staff Help Desks in urban medical centers, universities and community centers. Students then connect low-income families to other critical community and government resources - such as housing vouchers, supplemental nutrition assistance, and educational support. This year, 600 college volunteers will dedicate 100,000 hours to connect over 15,000 low-income children and adults to the resources they need to be healthy."

And then there is John Alford who grew up in a housing project in Brooklyn, attended college in North Carolina and then Harvard Business School. John recently launched NOLA 180 a 'turn-around' organization for failing public schools in New Orleans. NOLA 180 transforms these public schools into high-functioning charter schools that prepare every student for college. Langston Hughes Academy is the first school to benefit. Students spend 50 percent more time in their classrooms. Parents are given teacher's cell phone numbers so they can call for help with homework. And, in honor of their namesake, Langston Hughes, students receive instruction in persuasive writing, public speaking, debate and poetry. In its first year, Langston Hughes students outperformed the city's public school average in reading, writing and math.

Charles, Rebecca and John. I know they are here somewhere. Congratulations and thanks for all of your hard work. This is exactly the kind of social innovation and entrepreneurship we should be encouraging all across this country.

And that is why tonight, I am pleased to announce that as part of the new Serve America Act, the Administration is creating a Social Innovation Fund to help innovative nonprofit groups and social entrepreneurs, like the ones I just mentioned, expand their successful approaches to tackling our most pressing national challenges. The idea is simple: find the most effective programs out there and then provide the capital needed to replicate their success in communities around the country. By focusing on high-impact, results-oriented non-profits, we will ensure that government dollars are spent in a way that is effective, accountable and worthy of the public trust.

In this room of Leaders and Revolutionaries, Builders and Titans, Artists and Entertainers, Scientists and Thinkers, Heroes and Pioneers, I think we can all agree, we did not get to where we are alone. Our success was made possible with the encouragement of a diligent parent or teacher, a grandparent who told us we had real talent, an older sibling who paved the way and set a good example, a scholarship or grant that created an unexpected opportunity, or a neighbor or community leader who told us to dream big. That's certainly been the case in my own life.

I stand here today because of people who loved me, and pushed me and believed in me. I stand here today because of scholarships and grants and experiences that gave me opportunities I was afraid to dream of. I never imagined that, as a result of all that support, I would be in a position to be a role model for girls around the globe. Girls who look at me and see something more for themselves, more than society expects of them. Girls who now think anything is possible. As global leaders, let's not underestimate the power each of us has to change the world for someone - and let us not be afraid to try.

White House Photos on Flickr

The White House has released a series of behind-the-scenes photos on Flickr. It reflects a spirit of openness and sharing, for which we are grateful! These photos are stunning. We have highlighted our favorites below, but please click here to see the full Flickr stream. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza / Creative Commons Official White House Photo by Pete Souza / Creative Commons Note: For those curious about the stunning dress pictured above, it is a custom made Peter Soronen gown, worn to the Alfalfa Club Dinner. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza / Creative Commons

Mrs. O's Easter Sunday Best

Photo by Martin H. Simon / Getty Images

The President and First Lady attended Easter service at St. John's Episcopal Church on this sunny Sunday morning. Mrs. O wears a floral v-neck dress, fitted through the bodice with a straight skirt that hits at the knee. She paired the dress with an ivory cardigan and double strand of pearls. In a fresh pastel palette, Mrs. O is perfectly dressed for Easter and a vision of Spring.  We recognize the fabric from Peter Soronen's Spring / Summer 2009 collection -- the dress perhaps customized in design for Mrs. O.

Update: The dress, originally presented as a one shoulder design in Peter Soronen's Spring Summer 2009 collection, was customized with two shoulders for the first lady. The fabric is a painted cotton lace, the beauty of which can be better seen here.

Mrs. O Sparkles at Governors' Dinner

Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Tonight the Os will welcome the National Governors Association to the White House, hosting their first black tie dinner at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. As we mentioned earlier this week, Earth, Wind & Fire is slated to play, which will surely make for a fun evening. From the White House press release:

"The White House is the place where our bond as Americans is strengthened," said Desiree Rogers, White House Social Secretary.  "We look forward to welcoming the nation’s governors to celebrate our democratic ideals, our diversity, our shared values and the best of the American spirit." 

We're curious to see how Mrs. O will interpret black tie attire at the White House - a cocktail dress or a formal evening gown? (Of note, the reference to "black tie" came from Lynn Sweet's very reliable column for the Chicago Sun Times.)

Update: This afternoon Mrs. O spoke with a group of culinary students from L'Academie de Cuisine in the White House kitchen before the Governors' Dinner. The Huffington Post has a slideshow here. The dress is a cocktail length cobalt blue gem from Jason Wu's Spring 2009 collection (runway image here). As many have already observed in the comments, the dress is quite similar to the white Jason Wu dress that Mrs. O wore for an interview with Barbara Walters in November. We imagine the materials and construction - raw silk with hand embroidered rosettes - are the same. Lynn Sweet at the Chicago Sun Times also has the scoop on the menu, china and flowers for tonight's event, which can be read here.

Update: Mrs. O has changed dresses! The First Lady is wearing a sequin, strapless gown by Peter Soronen paired with a dramatic multi-strand necklace of pearls and crystals by Tom Binns. The dress is the "twilight gown" from Peter Soronen's Fall Winter 2008 collection. As is Soronen's signature, the top part of dress is a corset, with a long bias skirt, all in sequins. The color, we're told, is actually a deep purple / ink blue. With her hair pulled up, our First Lady Mrs. O is the epitome of style and glamour this evening. The Huffington Post's "The Other Red Carpet" slideshow is a must see.