Lovely Ladies

Image by Jason Reed / Reuters

Prior to the Cinco de Mayo festivities, the First Lady Mrs. O and Dr. B joined the president for the signing of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act -- a bill that will provide for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.

For the signing, Mrs. O and Dr. B each turned to their own take on professional dress. The first lady chose a Zero + Maria Cornejo geometric print dress (first seen last summer in Pittsburgh), paired with a black patent leather belt, drop earrings and open toe heels. Dr. B wore a pale blue skirt suit with a slight ruffle at the sleeve, paired with pearls earrings, a beaded necklace and netural heels.

Zero + Maria Cornejo

Images via Style.com

There are certain qualities to Maria Cornejo's work -- easy but quite exact silhouettes, geometric references, a defined color palette (blue, black and usually something more acidic), and in the last few seasons, abstract prints (originating from photos taken on the designer's iPhone) -- that are distinctly her own. When a Zero + Maria Cornejo dress or jacket appears in the first lady's wardrobe, the strength and clarity of this design signature makes it easy to spot. All the more fascinating, is that within this tightly defined space, there's still sufficient room for Maria Cornejo to experiment and evolve from season to season. Her clothes add a different dimension and modernity to the first lady's wardrobe, and quite wonderfully fulfill that role.

There are several pieces from the Zero + Maria Cornejo Fall 2010 collection that would be a great addition to Mrs. O's closet. A few favorites are included above, and the full collection can be viewed on Style.com. The designer also gave an interview to Sabine Heller of the Huffington Post this week, which touches briefly on the first lady. An excerpt is included below; the full interview, here. Enjoy!

SH: Who do you design for?

MC: Strong, brainy women like Michelle Obama, Tilda Swinton and Sofia Coppola who wear my clothes in real life, and not just when they are getting photographed.

SH: When did the first lady start wearing Zero?

MC: I first saw Michelle Obama wearing Zero on The Daily Show with John Stewart in 2008. Her most notable appearance, however, was during G20 Summit in Pittsburgh.

SH: What is it about Obama that you admire?

MC: Her compassion, intelligence and the fact that she's an inspiration to so many. She has a lot of humility.

A Stylish Mission to Serve

Photo by Kris Connor / Getty Images

This afternoon, First Lady Mrs. O and Dr. B gathered at George Washington Univeristy for the launch of Mission Serve. Mission Serve is a network that links veterans to community service groups, as part of the first lady's broader push for public service.

Mrs. O wears a Zero + Maria Cornejo jacket debuted a few weeks ago in Copenhagen, pared with gray pants. A black cut-out belt - one we've not seen before - cinches the waist.

A Night for Star Gazing

Photo by Jim Young / Reuters

The Os hosted an event with local middle school students and astronomers to do a bit of star gazing from the South Lawn of the White House this evening. This is a rare occasion when we must say, we are not loving Mrs. O's look. We have always been a fan of her fabulous Zero + Maria Cornejo jacket (worn last fall on the campaign trail) but here, the color mix - blue, layered with patterned purple - is perhaps a bit much. Ensemble aside, the Os do look like they're having a wonderful time! 

Mrs. O Lands in Copenhagen

Pool Image / Reuters

Mrs. O arrived this morning in Copenhagen for the IOC's Olympic bid meeting. A true advocate to her home town, she will spend the next two days rallying in support of Chicago as the home for the 2016 Olympics. Stepping off the plane, Mrs. O wore a bold, geometrically patterned jacket paired with a knee-length black and white tweed sheath dress. A trademark bow belt added a final detail at the waist.

It may have been a black and white ensemble, but we give it a gold!

Update: Mrs. O wears a Jason Wu tweed dress, paired with a Zero + Maria Cornejo Ivy jacket in printed tweed with a grosgrain belt.