Mrs-O.org in Vogue

On November 19th, an email popped up in my inbox that sent my heart racing. The note was from Mark Holgate, and the subject read, "American Vogue March 2010."  Vogue was putting together a story on fashion bloggers and asked if I would participate. To be asked was an incredible honor, so far removed from my reality, I could barely process.

A few weeks later I met the other bloggers and the Vogue staff in the lobby of the Conde Nast building before we ventured together to a warehouse in the Bronx for the photo-shoot. The bloggers selected have substantial followings in the online fashion community, and increasingly, the offline one too. Several are essentially famous. (If having a bag named after you by Marc Jacobs doesn't qualify -- that would be Bryanboy -- I don't know what does.) They include: Bryanboy, Tommy Ton of Jak & Jill, Todd Selby of The Selby, Yvan Rodic of Facehunter, Garance Dore, Hanneli Mustaparta, Catherine Kallon of Red Carpet Fashion Awards and Michelle Phan of YouTube fame.

This blog, frankly, has a much smaller following than those above. And I'm sure, for many, it's an unexpected choice for the story. That it was included is a reflection of the broader cultural resonance of Michelle Obama's style, I believe, and of how opinions about the first lady's style are first shaped online. Perhaps, too, the Vogue editors were going for a bit of range.

Later in the week Mark Holgate, a Senior Fashion Writer for Vogue, came to BBH, where I work full-time as a brand planner and also blog. We chatted about fashion blogs and their increasing influence. I shared a few anecdotal stories of how Mrs-O.org has evolved over the past 18 months, and specifically, how surreal this all feels, particularly for a girl who has no background in fashion or politics -- simply an all consuming interest in the first lady's style, a slight addiction to style.com and a supportive employer. How this has all grown in such a short span of time is at once magical and mind-bending.

I want to thank everyone I met and emailed with at Vogue for this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And of course, to all of you, the Mrs-O.org community, for your support. Our shared enthusiasm for the first lady's style is what defines this blog. I'm very grateful you're all a part of it.

xoxo, Mrs. T

P.S. For those wondering about Mrs. O's whereabouts this week -- it's been quiet only because there's a full schedule in the days ahead. On Thursday the first lady will meet with students from the London borough of Islington at the White House, on Friday she'll be in Philadelphia to support her Let's Move initiative, and on Saturday she'll be back in Washington to address the National Governors Association, followed by the annual dinner. (Last year, the aforementioned brought us the Peter Soronen "Twilight" gown.)

The Most Wonderful Icon

Well, it may be a few weeks past, but this NPR segment is worth a listen. Vogue's Fashion News and Features Editor, Sally Singer, weighs in on the Fall 2009 New York shows, recession fashion, and of course, Mrs. O. Speaking of the latter she shares:

"She's the most wonderful icon for us to have, in a way, because she's not someone who ever sought it out," Singer says. "This is not a woman who's put herself forward as a fashion icon — she's a woman who's an icon for all the right reasons."

Obama wears clothes well partly because she's beautiful, tall and poised, Singer says, but also because she doesn't let clothes overwhelm her. "She wears clothes that she looks good in, that fit her life, and in doing so inspires us all to think about ways that we can do that with clothes for our lives," Singer says.

Ms. Singer's words gained all the more credibility with us when we stumbled upon this April 2008 photo of the Vogue editor (far right) wearing a Tracy Feith dress of the exact same print as that worn by Mrs. O to the National Prayer Service in January. Kindred style spirits, they clearly are.