Isabel Toledo Musings on Style

Image courtesy Isabel Toledo via People Paging through the February 9 issue of New York Magazine, our eye was immediately caught by a photo and great quote from one of Mrs. O's Inaugural designers, Isabel Toledo. NY Mag: Michelle Obama wore your clothes to the swearing-in. Have you met? Isabel Toledo: "Just once. And I have to admit, I hugged her and thought, 'Let me see ... what size?' She's got an amazing torso and long, beautiful arms. She's like a spider." In turn, this reminded us of one of our favorite passages from Nina Garcia's, "The Little Black Book of Style", illustrated by who else, Ruben Toledo, Isabel's husband.  In the same way Isabel Toledo's account of how she chose the lemongrass color and unusual Swiss wool lace for Mrs. O's Inaugural look thoroughly charmed us, so too, did her broader musings on fashion and style for a Q & A session with Nina Garcia. From "The Little Black Book of Style":

Q: What is the secret to buying and wearing a strong shape?

A: The secret to wearing strong shapes is body language - a woman has to be comfortable in her own skin to make strong shapes work for her. Once you know yourself and understand how to use your body language, clothes with shape can enhance your graphic presence and help to project your own personal style.

Q: What is your secret to mixing the practical with the fantastical?

A:  This is the essence of style for me. How you mix opposites and rearrange realities to get at a deeper truth. I love the practical and build everything around it first. Fantastical just happens when you are open to it and can evaporate just as quickly. It has been my experience that from the fantastical, often the practical is born.

Q: Who are some of the most stylish women you know?

A: I adore the classic generations' sense of ageless style. Maria Felix, Louise Bourgeois, Iris Apfel, Anna Piaggi, Louise Nevelson, Frida Kahlo - they have all shown us that an independent and confident sense of yourself is what it is all about. Diana Vreeland, who I had the fortune to intern with at the Costume Institute at the Met, had that gift all through her life - the joy of living and dressing up or down for any challenge. We had the same shoe size and she would insist on trying on my picks that I found on Canal Street. The curiosity and enthusiasm is a real gift and the reward of a fertile mind and an open spirit - that is what fuels fashion!

So how has dressing the First Lady on the most historic of events affected the designer? When speaking to WWD, Isabel's husband Ruben, described the aftermath as "Obamathon". For lucky Buckeyes, Isabel Toledo will visit the Kent State Museum in Kent, OH on Feb.19. The museum houses the largest collection of images of her work, remnants from an exhibit in 2000. The rest of us will be able to listen in via NPR.

National Prayer Breakfast (Updated)

On Thursday, First Lady Mrs. O attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast, where President Mr. O introduced the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Listening intently, Mrs. O looked polished, poised, and well, very First Lady-like. Wearing a v-neck royal blue dress with clean lines, a black band at the waist and seams through the skirt, the design seemed to reflect several trademarks of Narciso Rodriguez. However, we haven't been able to confirm the designer. It could be a Narciso Rodriguez design from several seasons past, tucked away in Mrs. O's closet and revisited for this occasion. Or perhaps it's of another origin all together, thereby officially earning "mystery dress" status. Any light that can be shed would be greatly appreciated.

In the realm of polished touches, Mrs. O's coiffed hair and bolder makeup add a definite finish to the look. Also note the single strand of more traditional pearls that Mrs. O wore here and throughout the week. Additional images of First Lady Mrs. O at the National Prayer Breakfast here and here.

Update: We're told that Mrs. O's dress is in fact Proenza Schouler - a label we've not heard associated with the First Lady's wardrobe before. Certainly though, the design duo of Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough will make for an exciting new addition to Mrs. O's style repetoire. Upon hearing this news, we immediately thought back to a quote from the New York Observer. As an Observer reporter chatted with Narciso Rodriguez about Mrs. O's election night dress in November, "...the young designers of Proenza Schouler approached Mr. Rodriguez. 'Did you see Michelle Obama in his dress?' cried Lazaro Hernandez. 'Really major!'" And now it seems, the same should be said of Proenza Schouler. Brilliant!

Mrs. O Suits Up

Mrs. O certainly has been busy this week. Our First Lady paid the Department of Housing and Urban Development a visit this afternoon, wearing a two piece grey skirt suit with a purple silk wrap blouse underneath. As RJT and Kay have observed in the comments, the juxtaposition of fabrics - a matte wool jacket against a shiny silk blouse - add depth and interest to the look. If the theme of the week has been dressing for the occasion, Mrs. O today seemed to embrace more formal business attire (accessorized with pearls) when speaking to a group that knows the troubles of U.S. housing all too well. According to the Washington Post, Mrs. O shared these thoughts with her audience:

“The Department of Housing and Urban Development is going to play a critical role in implementing elements of the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will help our communities,” she said.

“Barack and I always believed that investing in the community that you live in first and foremost is critical. And for the people here at this agency, we are now your neighbors,” she said to cheers.

The last comment, in particular, could not ring more true. Post-inauguration, we've been simply amazed (and delighted) by what have now become daily appearances by Mrs. O out and about in Washington D.C. And as far as we're concerned, the more, the merrier. Additional photos here, here and here. Update: We've confirmed that Mrs. O's ensemble yesterday, a pale charoal wool skirt suit with purple silk charmeuse top, was again the work of Narciso Rodriguez.

From Isaac Mizrahi's Studio

A few weeks ago our friends at Isaac Mizrahi shared a video of the designer's most recent round table chat. The topic of conversation? The First Lady's style of course. This group, led by the king of fashion democracy himself, touched on several insightful points often breezed over by mainstream media coverage. We were particularly impressed by the commentary from Kirsten Naiman, a stylist on Isaac's team. She describes Mrs. O as an "incredibly intelligent, strong businesswoman that is also quite clearly and evidently into fashion,"  continuing that Mrs. O brings "a marriage of intelligence and fashion-mindedness ... that will be a good thing for fashion." Isaac briefly comments on Mrs. O's physique, sharing with his usual spark and enthusiasm, "[Mrs. O] is very body loving. The lady has hips. And you don't see her try to mask them or treat them as a detriment. She works her hips, which is so fantastic." We love everything about Isaac Mizrahi and have to think Mrs. O does too. After all, they're both champions of high-low fashion. We wait with bated breath for Isaac's new collection for Liz Claiborne; early signs leave us with a great deal to be excited about. [flv:http://www.mrs-o.org/wp-content/uploads/webisode_2009_0120_rt_obamas.flv 480 360] For more video segments from Isaac Mizrahi & Co. click here.

A Lesson in Stripes and Ruching

Our President and First Lady were out on the town again this afternoon, making a surprise visit to Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, DC. According to a report in The Washington Post, the President and First Lady read the picture book "The Moon Over Star" to a group of second grade students in the school library. President Mr. O told a reporter at the school, "We were just tired of being in the White House".

Is it just us, or did Mrs. O again perfectly dress for the occasion? Wearing a black knee length skirt with ruching detail (we're sensing a new Mrs. O inspired trend), paired with a fabulous high neck black and white stripe blouse and black cardigan, Mrs. O achieved an interesting mix of texture and pattern. With a pair of gold hoop earrings and a black patent leather belt in the mix, we couldn't help but think our First Lady might also have passed as a style savvy school teacher. We love that Mrs. O seems to always exhibit an awareness of her setting, and unerringly adjusts her style to suit.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy