En Garde

Image by Jim Watson / Getty Images 

Mrs. O kept to her classic belt and cardigan combo, paired with a (perhaps new?) printed skirt and kitten heels, for a White House event to promote Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games this afternoon. The President and First Lady Mrs. O participated in a faux-fencing match as part of the festivities, which also included demonstrations of gymnastics and judo on the South Lawn.

P.S. Stay tuned for highlights from fashion week, including Spring 2010 picks for Mrs. O.

Scenes from the Weekend (Updated)

 

Photo by Mandel Ngan / Getty Images

The Os made several stops out west this weekend as part of a working vacation for the president. Saturday brought a visit to Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Mrs. O wore an ensemble quite similar to that sported in Paris, reintroducing her Rick Owen Lillies vest.

 Photo by Mandel Ngan / Getty Images

Landing in Arizona, Mrs. O debuted a new summer dress, paired with a Sacai belt. We have an idea about the dress, but want to confirm details first...

UPDATE: Thanks to those who contributed fabulous tips in the comments section. We have confirmed that Mrs. O's dress is in fact Merona from Target. It is from a past collection and no longer in stores. Another major moment for democratic fashion - hooray!

Take Your Child to Work Day

Mrs. O met with children at the White House this morning, taking a series of their questions as part of "Take Your Child to Work Day". With little hands enthusiastically raised high, questions touched on a range of topics -- from Bo to the White House Kitchen Garden to the Secret Service.

Mrs. O is wearing a Junya Watanabe asymmetrical argyle cardigan in fuchsia, similar to the cardigan she wore in London. The cardigan is paired with the white Moschino bow blouse, last seen in Prague, and belted at the waist with the silver studded Sacai belt worn on the cover of Essence. The layered tops are paired with black pants. Today's ensemble is a great example of Mrs. O's knack for re-mixing and wearing what she loves.

Update: As Politico reports, it seems Mrs. O also squeezed in a visit to the Office of Personnel Management, yet another stop on her tour of federal agencies. "She shook hands with employees, worked the crowd and also welcomed John Berry, the new agency director, who she said recognized the importance of diversity."

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Image used with kind permission from Essence

Mother’s Day came early to Essence magazine, and we couldn’t be more excited. Their May issue features a beautiful, warm photograph of Mrs. O and her mother, Marian Robinson, on the cover. Inside, their first joint interview is a delight, with lots of new tidbits—including the fact that the First Lady has yet to redecorate her office. Mother and daughter share insights into how they handled the transitional move, their beliefs about raising confident kids, and their love of strong marriages.

The fashion choices for the magazine’s photographs are as refreshing as springtime itself. Mrs. O indulges her love of floral prints again, this time wearing a silk rose print dress from Talbots. The print is a watercolor style, featuring large lagoon blue and turquoise roses plus green leaves, both detailed in black. Over the dress (which the Talbots web site tells us is a sleeveless fitted bodice design with a pleated skirt), Mrs. O is wearing a tissue cotton Kelly green sweater edged in blue by Hanii Y. Belted over the sweater is a wide silver-studded belt by Sacai.

Mrs. Robinson wears a Dear cashmere sweater, her own layered loden green and white tops and khaki pants, and a vintage three-strand pearl necklace mixed with a necklace by Martin Margiela. The Margiela piece consists of large white beads partly interwoven with a dark chain. By layering the pearls and the Margiela necklaces together, Mrs. R brings a contemporary bit of sass to a traditional pearl piece. The reach and mix of fashion here is fascinating.

Talbots is a traditional brand, started in Massachusetts in 1947, and long known for the preppy approach to style, including sheath dresses and twin sets. There are Talbots stores across the country, plus shoppers can buy from them via catalogues or online. Hanii Y is half of the design team of Y & Kei; she draws on her Korean heritage to bring a streamlined cut and bold colors to her work.

And Sacai is a Japanese design house based in the Marais section of Paris. Having established its own niche market over the past 10 years, Sacai feels no need for runway shows or fancy press presentations. It is a fashion insider’s designer, as is Margiela, a Belgium designer so mysterious that he has never had his photo taken.

How did such diverse designers, of varying availability, come together here? The answer is, once again, the master of the mix: Chicagoan Ikram Goldman. She carries Hanii Y, Sacai, and Martin Margiela at her cinnabar lacquered boutique. By combining traditional American clothes with edgy fashion insider accessories, the message truly says, We are one. It’s a sentiment that both Mrs. O and her mother express in the interview. When asked if she had a Mother’s Day message to pass on to readers, Mrs. Robinson said, “Things are going well for me. For other mothers, I hope they can enjoy their Mother’s Day as peacefully and as happily as I will.” What a great way to lead into spring. Image used with kind permission from Essence