Mrs. O Dazzles in Byron Lars
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 1:05 PM Music legend Paul McCartney was at the White House last night June 2 to accept the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song -- and to serenade Mrs. O with The Beatles classic "Michelle."
For the occasion, Mrs. O turned to a pale pink colored dress by designer Byron Lars, worn with an embellished belt at the waist. No photos seem to have surfaced quite yet (perhaps because the event won't appear on PBS until a later date?) but you can sneak a peek of the dress in the video above.
Per the Pool Report:
FLOTUS wore a short frock that is a color called "blush" and appeared to be made of satin. The designer is Byron Lars, a male designer who bills himself as making "twisted American classics." The dress had a cowl-necked collar and her belt was adorned with large jewels. As she sat, you could see a little pink petticoat peeking out over her knee.
UPDATE: PBS will air In Performance at the White House, Celebrating the Music of Paul McCartney this evening. The program airs at 8 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide, followed by an encore presentation at 9:30 p.m.
Not only will this be a great program to catch, it's also a second chance to see Mrs. O's stunning Byron Lars dress. And better yet, Mrs. O readers have a chance to purchase the dress (now available in Blush or Grey) at 20% 25% off from Carina New York, HERE. Instructions from Carina New York:
Byron Lars
Reader Comments (82)
GORGEOUS.
Aw! This looks like such a fun evening. I'm glad I spotted Sasha and Malia in the front row; imagine texting your friends to say, "Can't do anything tonight--Paul McCartney, the Jonas Brothers, and Stevie Wonder are coming over to jam." :)
@ EFS - that's a cute image. Those girls are so fortunate and from all accounts are remaining humble and kind. I'm sure that is the ultimate desire for the Obamas.
I saw a brief shot of this dress last night and fell in love with it. So pretty, feminine and appropriate for the season. It does have a massive twist at the neck, creating the draping, so I think I understand what Lars means when he says he makes "twisted American classics."
It looked like a positive event, I loved Sir Paul's comment about being part of billions who support the president, as well as his joke about being the first person to be punched by a president, for singing "Michelle" to Mrs. O.
Mrs.T, PBS will broadcast it on July 28,2010.
What a gorgeous dress on a gorgeous woman. What a beautiful family.
Not only is this dress gorgeous as all get out, but it's rather affordable too! Check out www.carinanewyork.com and click on Byron Lars' page or call directly @ (415) 734-8215. This dress is $316.00! I wonder how long this will last because it seems that once our Michelle wears something, it becomes a wait list item due to popular demand!
Oh, she did look absolutely gorgeous in this dress last night. Seeing my President sing to our First Lady just made me swoon. Those precious little girls were so pleased watching their Dad romance their Mom. Just fantastic!
THEY AREADY SHOW HER DRESS IN OTHER SITE THE NEWS SHOW MRS OBAMA AND MR OBAMA COMING IN THE SHOW SHE LOOKED NICE HER DRESS IS SHORT NOT TO LONG AND HER KIDS LOOKED NICE. HER HAIR WAS OUT . AND PAUL SANG THE SONG MICHELLE TO HER AND SHE WAS SINGING AND HER FAMILY SANG ALONG THEY HAD A GOOD TIME. AND THE SHOW WILL BE ON JULY 28 ON PBS TO BAD EVERYBODY HAVE TO WEIT UNTIL THEN TO SEE EVERYTHING THING HER MOM WEAR BLACK TOP OR DRESS NOT SURE BECOUSE SHE DIDNT STAND UP TO MURCH.
MRS OBAMA SHOES WAS NICE TO I JUST SAW IT IN THE OTHER SITE.
There's no photo!
I love Michelle. Heck, I love Paul McCartney. I don't even mind the Jonas Brothers. ;-) And I know these kinds of events are planned a gazillion months in advance. But the "optics" of having a party at the White House while folks in the Gulf are dealing with a huge environmental disaster are just so bad.
With that said -- what a pretty dress! On my screen it looks like a pale pinky/peachy color? Very nice. I love the way it moves, and I like that jeweled belt.
Thanks for the likns Charlène. i think this is the dress she is wearing but in blush. and i bet the belt she is wearing is her own accessory.You guys should also check his website. he makes beautiful designs.
http://carinanewyork.com/store/product-info.php?Byron-Lars-Swing-Vortex-Oprah-pid135.html
@ Christina - I think they handled it pretty well considering. They didn't air the entire event on the White House website like they did last year for Stevie Wonder. All they showed was the president's speech, in which he mentioned the Gulf. So, to the extent they could, I believe they minimized the worse "optical" problems of having the event during this time. I know they weighed the pros and cons, and I think they made the right decision to just do the event...this oil will be leaking for quite some time, does that mean all traditional White House events are to be postponed? I already have a feeling the Indonesia/Australia trip will be canceled again, should the leak still be such a problem in the next weeks.
On to Mrs. O's FASHION, I just went to the website to see the dress and decided to buy it. Well, the dress in blush appears to be sold out or something, because it's only offering the dress in "dove." Maybe I'll just call.
@IVA
"this oil will be leaking for quite some time, does that mean all traditional White House events are to be postponed?"
Honestly, I'd say yes. Or at least the ones that seem the most "frivolous." But it's tough -- you don't want to give the impression that life has come to a standstill, but you also don't want to be accused of fiddling while Rome burns. I do not envy the White House at this time. Whatever they do will be "wrong" to someone.
Anyway, that's a discussion for the other side of the board; I don't want to derail things. Back to this dress! I think the dove color is quite pretty but prefer the blush. Really, between this and my disappointment that I can't run up to New York and get the Sophie Theallet pieces, I think I'm going to sit over in a corner and pout. :)
why are people keeping bringing politics to a fashion website? people will always object to what they are doing. wether their reasons to do so is genuine is another story. and PBS and sponsors carry the costs.
It is a pity when art can be recognized whitout being judged through the lenses of politics.
Christina, I completely agree with your posts. Unfortunately, you do have to consider optics when a disaster the size of this oil spill continues. That's the trouble with this thing - it's ongoing unlike a hurricane or earthquake or whatever else. The on-going, real-time pictures of oil polluting the Gulf makes it very tricky to host events that seem "fluffy" (can't think of a better term). I just think it's very tricky for the President to navigate this thing. It would be for any President. But considering the kookiness of some of this President's detractors, it just seems like the WH is going to have to reconsider a bunch of things in order to remain politically viable. I don't like it, but I think that's true. His numbers have taken a serious hit and while we can argue about what he can/should do with the BP crisis there's no denying that the right wing fringe carries a bigger bullhorn than Obama's supporters.
Michelle looks lovely in this ensemble. The entire look works. And I cannot believe how fast the girls are growing. Where does the time go?!
@Christina - I hear ya, but I doubt in the scheme of things, this event being held at this time is going to do any irreparable damage to his presidency. It's at best a one day talking point for his opponents to trot out, but he has bigger fish to fry, as they say. There are many more important and problematic things going on that pose a real threat to his presidency, so I'm not sweating last night's festivities too much.
I agree, the dove is nice, but my heart was pitter-pattering for the blush color. It is just so pretty to me. I have a similar complexion to Mrs. O and I love the way the blush looks with her skin-tone, so I'm imagining it on me. I'm getting myself more and more excited...I better be able to track it down in blush and in my size!!!!!
IVA, call his office.maybe if the demand surges, he will make more in the same color.
This looks like great fun! I can't wait to watch it. I love the dress...beautiful color. A little surprised she didn't wear a Stella McCartney, but a beautiful choice nonetheless.
@chrystelle
"why are people keeping bringing politics to a fashion website? people will always object to what they are doing. wether their reasons to do so is genuine is another story. and PBS and sponsors carry the costs."
"People" meaning, me? :-) I guess I said something because I had a respectful and honest reaction to this post that I (hope) I imparted in a respectful and thoughtful manner, the oil spill disaster is on my mind, the Obamas are political figures, I've been posting on this site from its earliest days, and I felt like sharing my thoughts with my friends here.
@ IVA
This event *for sure* won't do irreparable damage to his presidency. But, if people get a generalized impression that Obama is detached from this disaster, that may be a problem. It's the drip-drip-drip that can wear down the hardest stone, you know? But, a discussion for another time.
What I'm amazed by, at least in the little glimpse of the dress I saw, is that the satin doesn't even seem wrinkly. I've seen some actresses on the red carpet in satin and that fabric can be very unforgiving.
@Christina
Life does NOT end because of the BP oil spill! Sometimes people act like because of crisis that that things should come to a hault! Sasha's birthday is coming up soon, so I am sure her party will still go on. They will travel this summer, even if the oil is still spilling. Staying in the WH and not doing anything does not make any sense. Not having the tribute to Paul would not change the economy, AND it would not stop the oil from spilling! Anyway, I loved FLOTUS' dress.
I see talking politics is an iffy proposition on this site. I only wrote the first post because I love this site and support the President very much. I worry about the impression he gives off when he sings with Sir Paul and the Jonas Bros. Sorry! I do. If Bush had an event for, say, some country band during Hurricane Katrina he'd have been skewered. And rightly so. I'm trying not to be a hypocrite just because I happen to be a Democrat who likes President Obama. Optics matter. Maybe they shouldn't but they do.
@ Mia Monte:
That's why I called it "optics." :-) Optics - appearances - are different from reality. Sometimes things just LOOK bad.
But you're right, it's not like having that party meant that Paul McCartney was prevented from going down to the Gulf and stopping the leak himself. The images just struck me badly, that's all. I doubt I'm alone. II've already said what I think would look better. You don't bring life to a halt or cancel a birthday party, but maybe you cut back on the big glittery events, y'know? I'm not expecting nor requiring anyone here to agree with me. But, I absolutely know that the White House is thinking about the impression of the president seeming disengaged, even if no one on this board is worried on that front.
I'm not trying to start an argument, though. And I'm not going to participate in one. That's no fun for anyone.
How jealous must Sasha and Malia's friends be? The Jonas Brothers! If Justin Bieber had been there, they might not have been able to go to school the next day.
@ Christina - Well, we'll see how it plays out, what's done is done. I honestly think this will not cause any real damage to him. If that leak is contained, no one will care that he was honoring Paul M. last night for a few hours. If it isn't, no one will care that he was honoring Paul M. last night either, since the gravity of months and months of oil spewing into the Gulf area and up the East Coast will overshadow any random event.
I think the dress is silk, though, so that's probably why it's not wrinkly? I don't know, the one thing I do not know and envy about others who comment on here is their knowledge of fabrics and sewing.
@ chrystelle - I am going to give him a call tomorrow morning. It's almost 6 pm now, so I'll do it tomorrow. Wish me luck. I'll report back!
ETA - @ Christina - I know you are sincere in how you feel about the event and the oil disaster. I only regret that chances are there will be haters, trolls, and other people seeing this as an opportunity to make mischief on this thread. I am foreseeing this thread losing it's focus. LOL. Oh well, Mrs. T will bring it back.
God knows there's nothing I could say (or not say!) that would stop trolls from doing their thing. Trolls will do what they will, regardless. :-)
But you bring up a good point. I really do mean it when I say I don't envy the WH, that no matter what they do there will always be someone to say that it was wrong.
That beautiful satin charmeuse (I think that's what the site said it was?) can wrinkle like crazy. But it seems like there were some pleats so maybe that obscured them?
I think I've decided want to cut my hair chin-length, like MO. Right now I have locs that go below my shoulders, and they are HOT. It's like wearing a sweater on my head. I love the way her hair seem so swingy and light now.
Do you guys think she is wearing nude pumps? here is the link
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/03/byron-lars-michelle-obama_n_599876.html#comments
Someone else may have posted these photos by now - they show the whole dress, which is not the one offered for sale at the link in the introduction. Her dress has a full skirt and someone reported a glimpse of petticoat - perhaps one of the crinolines worn before?
Two photos here - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/03/byron-lars-michelle-obama_n_599876.html
What isn't shown in these photos is the draped cowl in the back.
I'm with you, Sir Paul. I'm glad the POTUS has a chance to sit and "relax." The man works so hard dealing with so many horrendous problems, amid so many naysayers. May God bless him and his family with wisdom, strength, deep faith, great love and safety. Surround them with trustworthy and knowledgeable advisers. As for me, I'm so happy to have them at the helm through these troubled times. And the gravy is that they look good doing it and we're here admiring their every move. They inspire me to be better.
As a baby boomer growing up in the sixties, and a fan of the beatles, listening to Sir Paul McCartney perform for my favourite First Couple, is utterly delightful, captivating, fascinating and moving.
@IVA ditto to "billions support the President" and the song "Michelle" The First Lady is a shining beam of light in her satin dress. Malia was quite impressed with Sir Paul's speech about her dad, she's such a mature young lady.
The dove is pretty, but the blush is va va voom.
Morning Joe on MSMBC devoted a huge segment to the "optics" of the event in light of the Gulf oil spill, and the consensus among the talking heads seemed to be that while these events are planned months in advance, and are a necessary part of the ceremonial part of the Presidency, President Obama could counter this with more trips to the Gulf Coast, and with a more compassionate demeanor regarding the disaster.
I am not commenting, but reporting.
I just have to laugh at myself a bit, here -- for someone who is so concerned with "optics," do you notice where I'm choosing to talk about this? On a fashion site? I'm already feeling put out that there's no still pictures of this dress! I need to see it from all sides!
So obviously my own priorities are a bit wack. :-)
@Christina, I feel what you're saying about the "optics" looking bad because they had this event, but unfortunately the Pres could go get a cheeseburger or him and Mrs. O go to Sasha's school like they did today and the "optics" would look bad to some people. As you said, this is a no win situation for him and his administration. So why not take a hour or two out of his busy day to listen to some great music and honor a music legend.
I think you should seriously consider getting your locs cut in a bob. Whoopi's locs look good cut in that short bob she has now.
@IVA fingers crossed for you getting your dress!
@chrsytelle, I really can't see what color her shoes are from that fuzzy pic. Maybe if I look at the video real hard I will be able to see.
I loved this dress as soon as I saw her. I reall like the blush color as well. I'm not sure if I like the belt or not, but either way she looked great. The girls looked adorable as usual.
CID, I too swooned when I saw my president singing, "I love you, I love you" to his belle Michelle.
To no one in particular, of note, Mrs.O is wearing an AA designer.......Isn't she lovely!
I don't think the dress available at Carina's is the same. Mrs. O's has a full skirt, the one at Carina's is slimmer. I think Byron Lars created this dress especially for Mrs. O. I do hope he makes something similar for the general public. I bought a Byron Lars top from Anthropologie this spring which has the drapey cowl neck similar to Mrs. O's dress. Maybe this collar is his signature.
@BeeGee and cerius2002, you're both correct. I updated the link to clarify that the dress available is "similar" but not exactly the same. Thanks for the catch! And thanks to Charlene in Detroit for the excellent find in the first place!! Full skirt or not, I think this dress looks much more expensive than its price tag!
Also, thanks gals for keeping the conversation above pretty civil!
I like this drapey cowl neck. I liked the same effect on the pink outfit that she wore a few weeks ago.
@Nyon
"I think you should seriously consider getting your locs cut in a bob. Whoopi's locs look good cut in that short bob she has now."
Mom keeps saying that to me! The only thing I worry about is it seems like once you get your hair cut short, you have to really work at it to keep it looking nice and not scraggly. Basically, i need MO's hairdresser, too. That guy is great.
I read that the shoes are pale peach or pink flats with bows on the toes.
Awwww. Thanks Mrs. T for adding "Dazzled" in the title. I watch the live version when Paul made that comment about "billions rooting" for the President. And when the camera panned on the President and First Lady, I said, "Dazzling". The way the light reflected off the material and the jeweled belt was just dazzling.
TEN!
I just want to put the Gulf Coast critics to rest. 1. No Americans died, or was being searched for, or were sitting on their roofs starving last night. Now that's when you cancel and event. This procedure they are trying will take days. There is no reason not to have an hour long program at the White House.
Secondly, and I know this for a fact, as I used to work their. The White House may host the awarding of the medal, and quite frankly George Bush didn't in my time there, but the Library of Congress is actually responsible for this event. For the scheduling, coordination, down to the decorations, is all the Library of Congress. If you look in the video, Dr. James H. Billington and his wife Marjorie Billington are to the right on the President. The White House is the very last stop in an entire day event, which most of it is held at the White House.
So really, lets not light a match where there is no fire, just for the sake of wanting to see smoke.
Mrs. O looks fantastic! I just love her in dresses and this is a beautiful one. Her hair skin and make-up are always just lovely.
I completely agree with Christina. This is American politics and yes, optics, visuals are very important.
I don't know how they are going to handle the upcoming months and events. I'm sure they have an entire team working on this. It can't appear to be Bush flying over New Orleans. Should everything be canciled...no, just scaled back a bit. Per Bevi's post...more trips to the Gulf Coast, concern....hell,
send her. MO's #'s are higher than his or the administration. Many Presidents have sent the FL when they need to boost support.
p.s. I vote No on the hair cut. ;)
Hey guys, sorry about the misinformation on the dress. I did not see the bottom of the dress until I saw the video. I like both versions, but being that my hips are, ahem shall we say "plentiful" at this time, I think I'd look better in the one posted on the Carina site. That is if I had to chose, that would be my choice for me. All in all, our Michellel did look splendid last night. It was such a heart warming site to see people having a moment of light-heartedness amidst all of the chaos and turmoil here and abroad.
I don't usually get into political debates because I've rarely had my mind changed from them, so I figure that the other person's opinion is just as firmly entrenched as mine and they feel just as justified as I do. On the topic of "optical' I understand that sometimes perception carries a lot of weight, often too much. But I'm reminded of something that Jackie O said about the mood of the nation and the importance of healing. On the day that she burried JFK, it was John John's 3rd birthday, November 25th. She went on with his birthday party despite objections from the powers that be, which were concerned for her. "How will that look, how will the American people feel and react if they found out?", they said. She was adamant that it be publicized, and not kept confidential for several reasons. One being that it gave the kids something positive and fun to focus on and secondly, the nation needed to know that while we were ALL hurting, we must go on. We can and should continue to live and carry on with life. Mindful that we acknowledge the crisis that we're currently in , do all that can be done to rectify the problem and not act as if Armageddon is breathing down our necks.
I sent my kids to school on the morning of September 11th. Kids need a sense of normalcy. Sasha probably knows there is something awful happening in the New Orleans area but she is a kid and for as much as she and Malia have had to give up time with both of their parents over the last few years (thank God for their grandmother show is there at the WH with them all the time), let's cut them a little slack as far as throwing a birthday party. They seem like normal, happy, loving kids so the Obamas are doing something right.
The dress is a lovely color and cut and just downright "pretty"....it's a modern take on a 50's classic (although some of the Huff Post pics of Byron's collection might have Lady Gaga calling him!)
I've never heard of Byron Lars until now, but he's been on the scene for quite some time. I want to see Mrs. O in more of his designs. They're super-chic.
Some may detest Ikram, the gatekeeper, but she knows her Michelle.
You know, I feel like I have heard the name Byron Lars before...but I admit that I didn't know much. He's been designing for 18 years! I hope he gets a bump out of this. The fashion business is so hard.
Optics are just that ... appearances.
These events are planned MONTHS in advance .... if they're cancelled, THOSE people are disappointed too. And, how does that look? Like the President is hiding or avoiding being in the public.
It's a fine line ....
Hi Gals,
If you want to talk strictly about the situation in the Gulf, maybe the chat room is the best place to do it? It is the politically charged commentary that seems to create the most tension here. I'm hoping if we keep the conversation focused on fashion, we can maintain the spirit of the blog.
Thanks,
Mary T.
I still go out to happy hour after work; last week I celebrated my birthday with my friends and then celebrated again with my family; tomorrow I am going out to lunch with some of my former co-workers; last Saturday I played bowling on the WII.....I said all that to say, life goes on no matter how many problems arise or disasters hit us. The problems in the Gulf will be solved when they are solved and there isn't anything any of us, on this site, can do to change it.
Should the President not attend social functions because of the wars we are entrenched in; or the lack of jobs available to Americans; or because the House and/or the Senate can't get their act together? I think not....we have to learn to maintain balance in our lives and we should expect that our President would be able to maintain balance in his life. It is not as if the President has the engineering skills to provide the solution anyway.
There are always going to be people with opinions, it is their right to have them, but casting judgement on others is always an unattractive characteristic and we should make every effort to refrain from judging others when we ourselves are less than perfect.
I would suggest that since this is a site about fashion, we should stick to fashion. Try some other site for political statements. And on that note...yes, our FLOTUS looked lovely, as usual.
Thank you, Ms. T.
An African-American designer!!!! See, it doesn't take much to make me happy!!!!!
Here is what Mrs. O wore to her Let's Move Chefs event:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//100604/480/urn_publicid_ap_org5269
dc57103846199025506c791af25f/#photoViewer=/100604/480/urn_publicid_ap_org5269dc
57103846199025506c791af25f
And this is her later harvesting with the kids:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/101623762
Mrs. O looked great, but the image of the President singing 'Hey Jude' is priceless. I also loved when Sir Paul stated that "billions of us are" behind you. That was great.
Nyon,
Great pics. The shirt in the second pic looks familiar. I think it was the shirt Mrs-O wore when she and POTUS celebrated their first Earth Day in the WH. I forgot the name of the designer, but I remember the shirt cost $3000. I always admire when FLOTUS wears really expensive things while doing really strenuous activity. She's glowing in the pic and looks really fit.