EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Obama's Fashion Stylist Speaks

Gotcha!

I don't have any exclusive with the stylist of Michelle Obama. The last I read, the Chi-town native wasn't officially working with one but I'm sure that is going to change very soon if it hasn't already. Now, let's get a couple of things out of the way. I am officially a proud member of the Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama Fan Club. Need proof? Read this and this. But even I think constructive criticism is appropriate when it is well, constructive. In the words of fellow Chicagoan Common, "If I don't like it, I don't like it. That don't mean that I'm hatin'."


A runway shot of Michelle's election night frock.


Runway to Realway: The much-talked about Narcisco Rodriguez dress on Michelle.

So, here it is - Michelle usually gets it right in my humble opinion. I think she is always dressed appropriately for her age and she has figured out her body type (she has an hourglass shape). But she does have the occassional miss (like on election night) and I have a few suggestions of things her stylist might want to adopt (and a few things she should continue doing) to make her look even more fabulous consistently.


Lady in Red - Michelle is not afraid of color.

Hometown girl Maria Pinto has been holding it down for Michelle and should certainly continue to do so (she is responsible for the fab red dress Michelle wears in the above pic) but below are a few other folks worth our future First Lady's consideration. These designers also create clothes for real women with real bodies:

Lafayette 148 - Edward Wilkerson is slept on by the masses. His tailored pieces will take Michelle from power lunches and brunches to PTA meetings for Malia and Sasha.

Donna Karan - This NY native has long been Seventh Avenue's darling and for good reason. Karan's innovative usage of jersey will compliment Michelle's curves.

Oscar da la Renta - The Dominican designer should be a go-to guy for Michelle when she starts preparing for the black-tie dinners that will quickly start to fill her calendar come January.

Other Style Notes...

Shoes with a heel - Michelle steers away from heels and at 5'10 one can only assume it is because she doesn't want to tower over her husband. Still, a 2-3 inch heel can be slipped in every now and again to give her look more of an overall polished punch.

Hair - Michelle's tresses are always shiny and healthy looking. Keep doing what 'cha doing Michelle!

Make-up Artist - Michelle's make-up can be hit or miss - early on in the campaign her brows were a bit hard. I suggest she get one great make-up artist and stick with him/her then get an equally fabulous back-up. Someone she should consider is Sam Fine.

Lastly, I think that Michelle should continue to embrace bold color as it looks so right with her complexion but prints can be tricky and don't always read well on camera. Solids are probably best when cameras are around (which will be the next four years...).

Now when all is said and done, Michelle probably doesn't give two hoots about what me or any other blogger, critic or reporter has to say regarding her style. And why should she when she has this?


Awwwww!

Still, this was fun to write. Do you agree or disagree with my advice? Did you like the dress she wore last Tuesday night? Leave me a comment and sound-off.

Handbags, Voting and Other Randomness

I wanted to post my (long overdue) feedback to the Italian "All Black" Vogue today but no cigar. I'll try to get it up this weekend. I have an interview to transcribe for PPT that will post later this week, phone calls to return (MJ, are you reading?) and a lucrative but tedious freelance gig to work on. And I have fam (my mom!) visiting me from out of town this week. But this isn't a "woe is me" post. I'm actully feeling good, although VERY sleepy. I love having my fam around me, epecially the immediate folks. Love and my mother's potato salad (she made some for me Sunday) really does conquer all. Plus, I received the sweetest text message from Mr. TK on Monday. It was not too sappy but contained the perfect amount of sugar to make me say "Awwww!" outloud in public.

And then, I discovered the bag below. Isn't she a certified cutie pie? I think so too. She's one of my latest crushes. Surprising too since I'm not a female that typically likes pink. Actually, I tend to avoid it. But here, it somehow works for me.



The size is just right (roomy enough to hold all my stuff), the nickel hardware looks on point against the hue and the "is it or isn't it patent leather?" sheen adds the right amount of panache. I'm on a spending fast of sorts so I have no plans on purchasing this bag. Nada. But my mother taught me that it doesn't cost anything to look. For those of you who aren't fasting in the finance department, she can be yours for $450 bucks. Oh and she's only available via J.Crew's website or catalog. Like most crushes, I'll probably be over this very, very soon but in the meantime, I wanted to share. Cole Haan's accessories this season are pretty sick too...

One more thing before I go, I sincerly home all PPT readers in the U.S. of A. are registered to vote. Seriously. But just in case you aren't and/or know someone who isn't, click here. And to find out exactly when the deadline to register is for your state, click here.

Michelle Obama's Style Definitely Goes Way Beyond Clothes...

Last night I was an emotional wreck. First, I was pressed to watch The Black List on HBO since a few of my colleagues had gone to screenings and couldn't stop raving about the doc. I enjoyed the diversity of the profiles -- from Al Sharpton and Chris Rock to Thelma Golden and Zane. Good, good stuff. I did miss the end of Bill T. Jones because as much as I was enjoying the program, I couldn't miss a second of Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. (I guess TiVo would solve that little problem, huh?)



I began watching just in time, as her brother Craig was introducing her. That alone got me teary-eyed because I am very close to my older brother as well. Without exageration, I cried no less than three times while watching Michelle's speech. And then cried again when Malia and Sasha came out to join their mom on stage. Folks, THAT was history. And I'm so grateful that I had an opportunity to experience it in my lifetime. I know there will be a plethora political analysis disecting her speech today in all the major (and not-so major) media outlets. How she is (or isn't) an asset to her husband's campaign, how she did (or didn't) resolve any issues of her being elite or unpatriotic. I can't do that though.

I also can't bear to write about Michelle's flawless shiny hair last night during her speech. Or speculate on how fast the aqua-green, v-neck dress she wore will sell out. Or even how she accessorized the look with a brooch that could have easily went into the matronly zone yet she still managed to look very modern and fresh. Nope, I can't do that today. For one, I've written about her style, at length, here on PPT before. But moreover, the grace, confidence and all-around swagger that Michelle exuded last night had NOTHING to do with what she was wearing. Please understand this. What she displayed has to come from a place within. As much as I love fashion and I recognize how important outward appearance can be, I am much more concerned these days with quality education for children of working class people (and no I don't have kids of my own), affordable housing (Yes, I do own a home) and health insurance for the working poor (Even though I have excellent benefits). Michelle genuinely seems concerned with these things as well and I think her life's work thus far indicate such. Her values on family, work ethic and womanhood are what made me cry last night, I couldn't care any less who designed her dress to be honest.

One lesson Michelle did remind us all of during her speech was:

You wear the clothes, don't let the clothes wear you.

And she didn't even charge us.

Get a more in-depth look at Michelle's style recipe here in a piece I worked on, Commander in Sheath, for the 10am-6pm. (Click on the main pic to view the photo gallery.)