Over the last eight years, Michelle Obama has solidified her status as a modern day style icon and possibly the most fashionable First Lady in history. She has consistently been a champion of American fashion and up-and-coming designers like Christian Siriano and Jason Wu. So it came as a surprise to her legion of style fans when FLOTUS opted to wear Gucci at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony on Sunday night.
Festive yet elegant, the green and pink, off-the-shoulder gown showed off the First Lady's fresh new lob and her perfectly toned shoulders. The floor-length A-line gown, a silhouette favored by Obama, was custom designed for her by the fashion house's creative head, Alessandro Michele. The metallic floral print was a subtle nod to the holiday season, while the jeweled-toned colors perfectly highlighted her subtle pink lips and smokey eyes. And like most of Obama's wardrobe, it was event-appropriate yet trendy (case in point: The fall runways have been filled with gilded, ornamental jewelries similar to the pearl and crystal-encrusted brooch wrapped around the First Lady's waist).
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The decision to wear an Italian brand coincided with yesterday's announcement regarding the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, a politician who's readily embraced and lent support to the country's booming fashion industry. Earlier this year, Renzi became the first-ever Italian head of state to open Milan fashion week when he appeared at a luncheon attended by some of fashion's elites, including Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace, and Giorgio Armani. "Fashion is many people working hard, with passion behind what they do," Matteo said during his speech at the event.
Obama's Gucci gown marked the first time she wore a non-American designer to the ceremony. The last (and first) time she has sported the brand was on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in September. While the reason behind the decision to wear Gucci is unclear, Obama's past sartorial choices indicate that the gown could symbolize a subtle nod of support for Renzi. Indeed, during her tenure as First Lady, she has regularly used fashion to make diplomatic gestures. In October, Obama made headlines when she wore an Atelier Versace chainmail dress at her last White House state dinner in October, held in honor of, yes, Renzi.
The timing of the decision certainly supports the theory. More so than ever, her fashion choices been watched with intense scrutiny, especially during these last weeks in the White House. And similar to its Italian counterpart, the American fashion industry will soon lose its beloved figure in the political arena when President-Elect Trump enters the Oval Office—fashion designers, including Tom Ford and Sophie Theallet, have recently made statements regarding their decision to not dress First Lady-to-be, Melania Trump.
Maybe Obama recently became a fan of Michele's whimsical style (name anyone in fashion who hasn't) or maybe she chose the dress because, as she said herself in her last Vogue cover, "I feel gooood in this." The decision is up for debate. But we can all agree, a gown like this is certainly the perfect way to celebrate eight fabulous years of fashion.
Michelle Obama’s style evolution:
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