First Lady could save American fashion
January 28, 2009 by SHANNON OTTO
Filed under Opinions
Now that the fanfare of last week’s historic inauguration has died down, I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to another matter of importance.
The First Lady.
Michelle Obama is a strong, capable, career-minded woman whose children are No. 1 on her list of priorities.
And let’s face it – the woman has style.
Narciso Rodriguez, Thakoon, Maria Pinto … the list of her favored designers goes on.
For the first time in decades, we have someone in the White House who can legitimately be referred to as a First Lady of Style.
Michelle has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy. However, I think she’s nothing like the fabulous Jackie O. of Camelot lore.
There is so much more to our new First Lady.
Michelle has the power to use her role in the White House to a much greater advantage than Jackie did – and I think she will.
Today is a very different time than Jackie’s White House.
Since the 1960s, the Supreme Court has passed Roe v. Wade and the Women’s Movement has progressed from the Second Wave to the Third.
Yes, Michelle and Jackie will both have been mothers to small children during their time in Washington. And I do think the White House will have more vitality than it has had in recent years.
Michelle famously declared during the campaign season that, if her husband became president, she would be the “First Mom,” rather than the First Lady.
Feminists around the country bristled at that statement. The remark, combined with the fact that Michelle’s illustrious career as a lawyer would be put on hold for her husband’s ambitions, didn’t exactly endear her to the sisterhood.
But I think Michelle’s sentiments are right on target. Her priority right now is her children, and she and Barack Obama give off a vibe of being equal partners in their marriage.
Sure, they’re younger than most First Couples, but we should be inspired by that, not fearful.
Barack announced on Nov. 4 that their daughters, Sasha and Malia, would be getting a puppy. The Obamas have said the White House will host slumber parties.
Finally, our country’s leaders reflect a relatable American family. There’s no legacy here – the Obamas are as real as it gets.
Not only does Michelle radiate confidence in everything she does, she supports American designers in a way no other First Lady has in the past.
Sure, Laura Bush chose an unknown designer for her 2001 inaugural gown, but she famously favored the established Oscar de la Renta.
In an extremely bold move, Michelle picked a dress by Jason Wu, a virtually unknown, 26-year-old designer, for the inaugural balls.
Her sartorial choice for the daytime inauguration festivities?
A stand-out yellow ensemble designed by Isabel Toledo.
On a cold winter day where red, white, blue and black were the colors to be seen around Washington, Michelle radiated sunshine and her outfit was almost as optimistic as her husband’s inaugural address.
And during the campaign season?
Michelle dazzled in printed dresses, purple jeans and J. Crew separates.
You’ve gotta hand it to the woman – she knows how to show off her tall, athletic frame while keepin’ it real.
“We ladies know,” she told Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show.”
During this recession, it was refreshing to see a public figure chose clothes from H&M, White House | Black Market and Gap.
We ladies do know – you don’t have to break the bank to bank some style.
High fashion and low fashion are merging at breakneck speeds, and the First Lady is the combination’s No. 1 advocate.
And in a time when designers such as Vera Wang – yes, the Vera Wang – are pulling out of New York’s February Fashion Week, the industry clearly needs a saving grace.
The Obamas are the world’s foremost power couple. Michelle is – inadvertently or not – the savior of America’s fashion industry.
She’s a working mom, albeit an atypical one, who knows how to work her J. Crew.
In this economic crunch, what more could we want?
- Shannon Otto is the opinions editor for The Red & Black.
