Tuesday
Nov092010
Dressed for Dinner
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 10:27 AM 
Images by Jason Reed / Reuters
The president and first lady are attending a state dinner at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia this evening. Consistent with Mrs. O's approach to style throughout this overseas trip, the ikat-like fabric of the first lady's Derek Lam dress appears to be a thoughtful nod to the culture of her host country. Per Indonesia Now, there are at least 6,000 distinctively different designs of ikat (pronounced ee-kaht per a bit of blog research) across the 17,000 islands of Indonesia, ranging from the abstract to the realistic. A gorgeous Bib necklace by Ranjana Khan completed the state dinner look.
P.S. Seated next to Mrs. O in the bottom photo is Indonesia's former president Megawati Sukarnoputri.
tagged Derek Lam, Ranjana Khan
Derek Lam, Ranjana Khan
Reader Comments (47)
This is very nice. I wonder if it is a long dress.
Absolutely fabulous!
That necklace looks pretty incredible. Can't wait to hear who designed it...
The whole look is beautiful. I'm running out of adjectives. I love love love Mrs Obama and if anyone has a problem with the good that she does then they need to go sit down somewhere.
She is elegant and friendly and truly a delight to look at. She is supporting her husband in trying to make America a better place, both IN the eyes of America AND the rest of the world.
She looks great. The necklace looks amazing.
So far i love her Indonesia outfit..
Pretty Pretty! So pulled together; gorgeous color palette and I don't even mind the belt here :-)
P.S. Makeup and Accessories are FLAWLESS! Flotus is Back!
Another really beautiful appearance. Hair, make up, lip color, necklace - all are a big WOW. Are those sequins on the skirt or maybe just a few extra pixels?!
it's istana negara not istana merdeka :p
A winner in all respects. Looks like the fabric is an ikat-style print, which originated in Indonesia and is a wonderful compliment to the host country.
Does look like some type of beading or sequins on the skirt. I'm wondering
if she is also wearing pants underneath. I think she looks lovely:)
WOW. She looks great!
Lovin it - especially the necklace.
OH MY GOSH! She looks STUNNING! I LOVE this look! The hair, the makeup, and the dress and jewels are all just STUNNING!
Beautiful print, and the colours are perfect for Mrs O. The necklace is incredible. She's really pulling out all the stops on this trip! I'd love to know if this is a floor length dress. Anyone know?
WOW! I am inspired! wonder if I can go try to find a similiar dress.....The make up and hair WOWZA
The necklace REALLY ties the whole look together
Love the Ikat print. Will watch to see the designer..I found several pieces of Ikat available this past year on a shopping channel and really like the look. Of course, she looks FAB ...again.
Wow....Isn't she Lovely, stunning and the picture of gracious femininity...thanks Mrs. T for all of your efforts in feeding our "need to know" just how beautifully FLOTUS is representing us.
So pretty.
I generally like a more formal look, espcially for a meal. But, I have to admit this outfit is just so fitting for her that she could wear it almost anywhere.
Now, the necklace is a great look on her, but less so for an Indian theme. She would have done better in something in hammered metals.
Dare I say it? This ensemble looks more African inspired than subcontinental.
Lovely. The placement of the belts this trip are making a difference. She looks radiant. Love the bronze-gold makeup!
Gorgeous. I love Mrs. Obama. She always looks so in the moment too.
Looks beautiful. The fabric, the jewels, the hair, all is put together in a simple and elegant presentation.
I've been watching, wide-eyed and with stealth. And I have yet to be let down. I believe she is coming back home after the Indonesian leg of the trip. I am so full off of this fashion feast! Mrs. O has served.
I want to see a full length picture of this gorgeous dress. Does it hit the floor? The fabric is on trend and the whole look is noteworthy.
Yet another stellar look! Anyone else loving the way she's accessorizing on this trip? That necklace is perfect with that dress. It's sometimes hard to accessorize ethnic prints like that without clashing, yet she does it effortlessly.
NO, this is not African, it is Indonesian .
Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With a population of around 238 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the world's largest population of Muslims. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. (copied from wikipedia)
She looks gorgeous!
Beautiful dress! Love the fabric. She is totally put together! Mrs. O has taken India and Indonesia by storm!
The woman is always radiant.
Another winner. She looks stellar.
@BHA
Not to interrupt, but, I don't think Jasonsuggs was saying that the Obamas were literally in Africa. He was saying that her outfit looks more "African" than Indonesian. I disagree; the ikat pattern of the dress, as noted, comes from Indonesia. Whether she should be wearing jewels vs. "hammered metals" is beyond my fashion knowledge; all I can say is that it looks pretty, it was created by an Indian designer, and matches the dress.
This beautiful dress appears to be a custom version of Look No. 31 from Derek Lam's spring/summer 2011 collection. It is floor-length and is cotton voile, but the collection piece shows a sleeveless tank top.
@Jason, the First Lady is no longer in India. She's in Indonesia. But, even if she had worn it in India, it would have been entirely appropriate seeing that the designer/jeweler is Indian.
I understand very well what Jason said. He said African influenced. I know what that means. Perhaps my post was not clear. But Indonesia is very ethnically diverse extending to Oceania hence the influence on the design, perhaps.
Well, enough Geography, on to Fashion! Mrs. O looks radiant and the dress and jewelry are extremely beautiful. Her fashion sense on this trip has been spot on.
@meta I don't think that it is pixels I think that there really are little sparkles on the dress's skirt.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/106649885/AFP
Lovely!
So lovely. Everything about this is lovely.
OT since we haven't seen any Lanvin on this trip, but Suzy Menkes of The New York Times/International Herald Tribune has a wonderful interview with Alber Elbaz posted on those sites.
He's the lead designer for Lanvin and has done a special collection for H&M. Christmas comes early!
Here we go Mrs. O is wearing a headscarf!! Get ready yawl http://wwitv.com/tv_channels/b5455.htm
She looks soooooo pretty in this print. Sometimes that Ikat print does not translate well on television and computer monitors, but it does here. Our Michelle is going strong and doing us proud. And may I add that our very own Mrs. T is doing some kind of a wonderful job keeping us on target with the postings! I know it's a challenge, but we thank you. Very nice, indeed!
http://www.daylife.com/photo/03BU8F4gUP2gb?q=michelle+obama
Above is a photo of Mrs O respectfully covered while visiting a Mosque.
dasie left a video link above.
I think this is a respectful, appropriate look for the surroundings. Please let's remember this if Mrs T chooses to add pictures of Mrs O visit to the Mosque.
@Tammy
I want to say we've seen that lemongrass green suit before. It looks so familiar. Maybe at some kind of White House artistic event?
Christina
Yes, I believe it is this suit.
http://mrs-o.org/newdata/2010/7/19/opening-act.html
Once again Mrs. O looks spectacular! Her wardrobe for this trip has been amazing! I wonder if she's using a stylist, and if so, whom?
Our First Lady looks so wonderful!!!!!!!
FLOTUS is lovely. Love, love, love IKAT! And that necklace! I can't wait to see a full-length shot of her dress.
Very, very pretty and so feminine. The jewelry, hair and makeup are fabulous!
Simply Charming...with her beautiful, warm elegant smile!
BEAUTIFUL!!
Flawless! I love this dress and the necklace.