On the Campaign Trail

Photo by Morry Gash / AP Photos

Photo by M. Spencer Green / AP Photo

Mrs. O has hit the campaign trail! The first lady began her day with a stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, speaking at a campaign event for Senator Russ Feingold. There she donned a pink ponte knit sleeveless dress by Talbots, accessorized with a St. Erasmus necklace, first seen at the White House Correspondents dinner in 2009.

Later this afternoon, Mrs. O traveled to her home city of Chicago, where she supported U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias at a campaign fundraiser. Mr. Giannoulias will face Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, in the November election for President Obama's former Senate seat. For her second appearance of the day, Mrs. O changed into a black top and textured skirt, worn with her signature Alaia belt at the waist.

A few articles of note:

The first lady's full speech in support of Senator Feingold {White House}

"Michelle Obama, on the trail as mom-in chief" {Washington Post}

"Michelle Obama at Giannoulias fundraiser" {Chicago Sun-Times}

Wish List

Image via Anthropologie.com 

InStyle and Charlene from Detroit are on the same page this morning! Both have directed us to this fabulous necklace by Pieter Erasmus, the same style worn by First Lady Mrs. O during the White House Correspondents' Dinner this Spring, and now available at Anthropologie.

Back in May, we wrote:

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. (Add Anthropologie to the list!)

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.