Mrs. O

by Mary Tomer

  Speaking to the Transportation employees, Mrs. Obama said, “As you have heard, I have taken on what I think is the fun task of coming to every department in Washington—because I want to meet my new neighbors, learn more about the community, get to know our co-workers and meet everyone who’s going to be standing side by side with us over this wonderful journey that we’re on,” she said.

  “But it’s important as a reminder to let people know that the nation’s business is carried out by all of you, dedicated public servants like the folks standing behind me, all of you here, who have devoted their careers, who have been doing this work for decades. So my job is simple: I’m here to say thank you. Thank you.”

  Metallic beads and silk tulle brooch by Moschino.

  Cropped houndstooth jacket by Peter Soronen.

  SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009

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  White House Kitchen

  *

  SHORTLY BEFORE HOSTING HER FIRST BLACK-TIE DINNER, Mrs. Obama welcomed six culinary students from L’Academie de Cuisine, in nearby Gaithersburg, Maryland, to the White House kitchen to preview the menu. “This is where the magic happens,” she said, introducing them to White House chef Cristeta Comerford and pastry chef Bill Yosses, who offered the students a private tasting of the upcoming dinner.

  Mrs. Obama wore a cocktail-length dress by Jason Wu, similar in style to the dress she had worn for a television interview with Barbara Walters in November 2008. The violet dress, from Wu’s Spring 2009 collection, is sleeveless and fitted through the bodice. A narrow panel of the dress material runs down the center from the neckline, with gathering detail on either side. Hand-embroidered black knots dot the entire dress.

  “The way I do embellishment isn’t with big stones. It’s always about subtle elegance. This could be a day dress, but the amount of work is certainly equivalent to an evening dress—the way it’s finished, inside with the contrast binding and so clean on the back.”

  Violet cocktail dress with French knot embroidery by Jason Wu.

  SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009

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  2009 Governors’ Dinner

  *

  FOR THE BLACK-TIE DINNER WELCOMING THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION, Michelle Obama changed from her Jason Wu dress (worn during the visit of the culinary students) to a stunning strapless evening gown by Peter Soronen. The Twilight gown, from Soronen’s Fall 2008 collection, features one of his signature corset tops and a long bias-cut skirt with flowing movement. The entire dress was covered in sequins on chiffon. While the color of the gown was a mix of deep purple and ink blue, its hue was changing and elusive, remaining true to its twilight name.

  Balancing the strapless gown was a statement necklace by Tom Binns. This dramatic piece of jewelry consisted of multi-strands of pearls overlaying a bib necklace of rhinestones. The rhinestone section of the necklace was designed in squares that lay flat against the body, while the pearl strands were exuberantly looped into overlapping circles. The necklace was from Binns’s Pearls in Peril collection.

  Sequin fabric in deep purple and ink blue, used for Peter Soronen’s Twilight gown.

  *

  Q&A: PETER SORONEN, FASHION DESIGNER

  Peter Soronen designs offer beautifully crafted shape and structure, often infused with his trademark corsetry. They are qualities that suit the kind of women he likes to design for: “A woman who’s strong, who likes a garment that’s well built, who understands her clothes.” A native of Michigan, he was discovered by Joan Weinstein of Chicago in the mid-1990s, and now runs his business from New York. Michelle Obama wore his designs on the campaign trail, and has dazzled in his formal gowns at the White House.

  Q: How did your career as a designer begin?

  A: I grew up outside of Detroit, in Farmington Hills. I was working in a salon; one thing led to another, and I started to make clothes for the girls there. As I got a little better at it, I took night classes for pattern making, and then in 1990, I went to Chicago for fashion school.

  In 1995, a friend of mine cold-called Ultimo [in Chicago], told them that she was my representative, and said, “I would like to bring Peter in so that you can look at his clothes.” She made an appointment for me in one week’s time. I only had five days. I was so upset. Of course you’re never ready, you never have enough money, you never have all of that.

  When I got there, the buyer just flipped right through all of my daywear and stopped when she got to the evening wear. She said, “What’s this?” They ordered several of the dresses and they sold them! And that started my relationship with Ultimo and Joan Weinstein. That was the first store I was carried in. I still have that first order of Joan Weinstein’s writing—she has such a beautiful cursive writing. It was such a thrill of a cab ride back to my studio.

  Later, I remember asking Joan if I could move to New York, and she said, “I think that would be a very good idea.” So, with $5 in my pocket and a bolt of fabric, I found a studio in the Garment District. And I actually lived and worked there. I was an urban pioneer. I had to build out the bathroom, and hide that I was living there from the landlord!

  Q: How did your clothes end up being carried at Ikram?

  A: There was a change of hands at Ultimo. Joan had left, and they were doing something different. Ikram [who had been at Ultimo with Weinstein] picked up where they left off. By that time, I had moved to New York. Ikram called me and said, “I’m coming to see your clothes—tomorrow.” The next thing I knew, she was knocking on my little studio door on the 13th floor. She began carrying my clothes during her first or second season in business.

  Q: Corsetry has, from very early on, been a defining characteristic of your designs. What attracts you to it? What first triggered the interest?

  A: I had an interest in watching old black-and-white movies and the spare-no-expense costumes that they would do. There would be scenes where women would put on corsets and then their dresses, and I was just so fascinated by what that would really do for them. It just looked so mature and elegant and regal. I just had to know how to do it.

  I started constructing from books basically, and these old patterns from the Victorian age. As I got more clever with corsetry, I adapted it to a more modern shape and woman, and then incorporated it into dresses finally, which was really just the foundation. Without that, it didn’t seem like there was any kind of dress. It just stuck with me. And I couldn’t do anything without putting a lot of guts into it—the steel bones.

  Q: Do you have a favorite dress that Michelle Obama has worn?

  A: My favorite is probably one that you haven’t seen yet—the red dress. But by far, from what has been seen, the Twilight gown was one of my favorite pieces in the Fall ‘08 collection. For her to be able to wear that was just fantastic.

  I don’t remember in my lifetime seeing a First Lady look like that. She looked glamorous! I think that helps a lot of people become more aware of what fashion can be, but I think it helps fashion too, as far as fashion houses go. I think it just reemphasizes that looking good is something. Whereas Tshirts and sweatshirts have been such the rule for so long, I’m glad there’s an interest in nice things again.

  Q: Are there specific inspirations behind your collections?

  A: Once we get fabrics together, that’s where I start to put together a story. And then an organic process begins to shift the fabric into a dress, what length it should be, short or full. The fabric dictates what I imagine it should be.

  I go to fabric showrooms, I pick what my eye likes. I actually picture the whole dress, right then and there. Whether or not that develops into anything, I don’t know. When I saw this fabric, for example, I saw the dress in my head [referring to sequined chiffon used for the Twilight gown]. I kind of know immediately what I want to do with the fabric. Fabric always does what it wants to do, and you never try to fight it.

  Q: What do you love about being a designer?

  A: The reaction a client has when she’s wearing my clothes for the first time
. That is such a thrill and it never goes away. It’s always exciting, because it’s exciting for them. To be able to take this one or two dimensional thing and then put it through a sewing machine with your hands, to be able to create something that someone’s going to rock—that’s the thrill of being a designer.

  Peter Soronen corset gown—the red dress—worn for the Alfalfa Club Dinner in January 2009. Media was not permitted at the event, but this photo was released by the White House at a later date.

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  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

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  Address to Congress

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  WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA DELIVERED HIS FIRST SPEECH TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS, First Lady Michelle Obama watched from her mezzanine level box in the House of Representatives. She was joined by several special guests for the evening, including Ty’Sheoma Bethea, a student at J.V. Martin Junior High School in Dillon, South Carolina. Ms. Bethea had written a letter to Congress imploring them to help her deteriorating, partially condemned school building.

  President Obama read a portion of Ms. Bethea’s letter during his speech:

  “We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world.” “We are not quitters,” she closed.

  For the event, Mrs. Obama wore a plum silk and wool dress by Narciso Rodriguez; the dress had first been glimpsed a month before during an inauguration ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. With a gathered silk top and high-waisted wool skirt, the dress almost resembled separates. The silhouette was hallmark Narciso Rodriguez: clean lines executed in ultra-luxurious fabrics, with a resulting look that was streamlined yet feminine.

  In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, the designer said of the first lady: “She’s such an elegant woman, and that speaks volumes about her. It’s something that comes very natural to her, and she makes the choices she likes, and therefore always looks very comfortable and very right.”

  A public discussion centered on the lack of sleeves in Mrs. Obama’s outfit. Robin Givhan, Pulitzer prize-winning fashion writer for the Washington Post, described Mrs. Obama as having “post-Title IX arms.” Noting the winter temperature in Washington, D.C., that night, Anya Strzemien of the Huffington Post thought the sleeveless look displayed Mrs. Obama’s “flinty, Chicago toughness.” Others noted that in 1963, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had worn a sleeveless dress when her husband delivered his State of the Union address. Then and now, the results were the same: both first ladies stood out in a crowd of coats, turtlenecks and buttoned-up suits. They appeared youthful, optimistic, and thoroughly modern.

  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2009

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  Library of Congress Gershwin Award

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  FOR A SPECIAL AWARDS CEREMONY, Michelle Obama welcomed a singer she greatly admired—Stevie Wonder—to the White House. The event honored the music legend, the recipient of the 2nd Annual Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Library of Congress. The prize celebrates “the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding.”

  Mrs. Obama wore an emerald green silk chiffon cocktail dress by L.A.- based designer Kai Milla. The sleeveless bodice featured a deep V-neck with hand-pleated detail, while the skirt had a cascading flow. Originally a full-length gown, the dress was shortened to hit just below the knee for the occasion. Mrs. Obama added a black satin belt to the waist, and accessorized with Loree Rodkin bangles and silver open-toe heels.

  The choice of dress was full of meaning. Kai Milla is not only a talented designer, she is also Stevie Wonder’s wife. Perfectly chosen for the festive evening, Mrs. Obama’s dress also showed thoughtful appreciation for her guests.

  “Tonight is a huge thrill for me as we honor a man whose music and lyrics I fell in love with when I was a little girl,” Mrs. Obama said prior to introducing the singer. “Years later, when I discovered what Stevie meant about love, Barack and I chose the song ‘You and I’ as our wedding song.”

  Emerald green silk chiffon used in Kai Milla’s design.

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  Q&A: KAI MILLA, FASHION DESIGNER

  Kai Milla knows a thing or two about Washington style—she grew up in the nation’s capital and attended the Corcoran School, where she studied fine art and design. Her artistic talent led to an early career as an art director and graphic designer in the recording industry, but Kai soon found her true calling in fashion.

  In addition to being a prominent designer, Kai is also married to one of music’s finest—the legendary Stevie Wonder. First Lady Michelle Obama is a fan of the power couple. She notably wore an emerald green dress by Kai Milla on the February 2009 evening Stevie Wonder was honored at the White House with a Library of Congress award.

  Q: What made you want to start your own label?

  A: I was already married to Stevie, and I had Kailand, who is seven years old now. I was designing for a lot of private clients, which I was able to do on my own time. But after we had Kailand, I started to get that urge—that I wanted it to be a full-on business. I said, “once Kailand hits two, I’m going.”

  We started in my house. I took up a whole section of my house, so that I could stay with the baby. As we started to grow, I took over a portion of my husband’s studio. At one point he said, “It’s time for you to get your own space,” so I got my own space.

  Around that time, I was in Paris and saw one of Galliano’s shows [for Dior]. I was just blown away by the creativity. To see it all come together—it was just, “Wow!” I decided that I wanted to do a show, and we’ve been growing from there.

  Q: How do you want women to feel in your designs?

  A: One of the things that’s really important to me—as a mother and a woman who travels and is constantly on the go—you want things to be as seamless and effortless as possible. So the clothes have to be easy to get on and easy to travel with, but they still need to look great.

  I want women to feel confident in my designs—and a little sexy, here and there. I do like showing parts of the body that I think are really beautiful on women. It could be the back. If I do show the back, then I’m not showing so much on the front. So it’s timeless, but at the same time, a little edgy.

  Q: What did it mean to you as a designer that the first lady of the United States wore one of your designs?

  A: I was over the moon… For any designer to have the first lady of the United States wear something of yours, when she has so many options to choose from, it shows she has really opened up her style sensibility to so many designers. And being chosen as one of the designers, I was just taken aback. This is really amazing for me.

  Q: Were you in attendance?

  A: I was. But I didn’t know she was wearing the dress until she walked out. I looked said to my husband, “I think she’s wearing my dress.” He goes, “Really?” And I said, “Yes!” When we all went to one of the rooms, Michelle Obama and I walked up to each other, nodding our heads in approval. I told her, “You look amazing,” and she said, “Thank you, I love it.” It was very fresh and chic.

  Q: Were there details we might have missed in photographs that were visible in person?

  A: The fabric actually has three different silk threads: a green, a reddish-orange, and a black. So it has an amazing, iridescent color that pops. It’s a really beautiful color, and it really worked with her. The V-neck was all hand pleated, and it had the same effect in the back. The back actually went to an even deeper V-shape.

  Q: There was a wonderful message in the choice of your dress, given your husband was being honored that evening.

  A: I think you’re absolutely right, and you’re on to something. It’s a way of showing respect. It signals, “I’m recognizing you, I’m connected with you.”

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  THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009

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  Miriam’s
Kitchen

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  BECOMING INVOLVED WITH HER NEW LOCAL COMMUNITY, Michelle Obama visited Miriam’s Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides meals to the homeless in Washington, D.C. She not only greeted visitors to the kitchen, but she also helped to serve lunch.

  “There is a moment in time when each and every one of us needs a helping hand,’’ said Mrs. Obama. She described Miriam’s Kitchen as “an example of what we can do as a country and a community to help folks when they’re down.”

  For her visit, she paired a white ruffle blouse, from the new Liz Claiborne New York collection designed by Isaac Mizrahi, with a salmon-pink cardigan sweater by J.Crew. Completing the outfit were black pants and a clear vinyl belt by French designer Sonia Rykiel.

  Clear vinyl belt with distinctive D-shape buckle by Sonia Rykiel.

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  Q&A: ISAAC MIZRAHI, FASHION DESIGNER

  Isaac Mizrahi championed a movement that changed the American fashion industry forever. Through his influence, a wonderful jacket or great pair of jeans could suddenly be found at Target, at a price almost everyone could afford. In 2008, he signed on as creative director for mid-price American sportswear brand Liz Claiborne. All the while, he continues to produce high-end runway collections for both women and men. He is the king of democratic fashion—and now, he’s dressed First Lady Michelle Obama.

  Q: What made you want to be a designer?

  A: I don’t know that I really made a choice. I feel like it’s something that I do. It was living in the house, growing up with my mother and two sisters—and how fashion obsessed everyone was in that house. And somehow being the only boy, I became a tyrant. I became the authority in the house about what to wear and how to wear it. That’s how I became a fashion designer.