Dressing Michelle Obama in November was a game changer for gay designer Jason Wu. Obama has chosen to wear Wu again -- this time to the inaugural balls.
The following interview appears in the current print issue of The Advocate and was conducted prior to the inauguration.
The quest to design the inaugural gown for Michelle Obama, the American fashion industry’s undisputed new muse, has ignited a Project Runway–like challenge of epic proportions for a diverse group of designers whose lines have already benefited from the future first lady’s patronage. Some, like Maria Pinto and Thakoon Panichgul, are largely unknown, while others, like gay Cuban-American Narciso Rodriguez, are well-established in elite circles; the crimson-and-black scoop-neck Rodriguez dress Michelle wore on Election Night inspired spirited, deeply divided debate among style bloggers.
“I’m not sure it’s a conscious decision, but I believe her whole [message] is about newness, about change,” designer Jason Wu says of Obama’s style. “And what better way to represent that than from a fashion standpoint?”
Obama’s fashion standpoint delights Wu. At 26, he won national attention when Obama appeared on a Barbara Walters TV interview wearing an adaptation of a silk sheath dress from his spring 2009 collection. Eminently feminine, the hand-embroidered dress was a confident departure from the relatively matronly skirt suits of Oscar de la Renta and other tried-and-true design houses that have epitomized first lady attire for years. “There’s no muss, no fuss,” Wu explains of the dress. “It worked because she’s not ornate. She’s fresh. But beyond that, I think she’s made an even bigger statement by wearing brands that are more budget-conscious, like J. Crew.”
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