Floral Brooch Remix

When Mrs. O appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in September 2008, not only did she make her dance moves famous, she debuted a fantastic trio of brooches that would soon become her signature style note of the season. In cornflower blue, a rose pink mix and ombre-effect lilac, the gold-accented pins were a feminine, cheerful addition to Mrs. O's deep purple wrap top and printed silk skirt. On a more practical note, they also served as an ingenious way to fasten her cardigan.

This same trio of brooches surfaced a month and a half later for the Third Presidential Debate at Hofstra University in New York. For their encore, they were reinvented entirely - fastened atop a single strand of pearls that popped against Mrs. O's cerulean blue cap sleeve dress. Mrs. O's use of jewelry is one of the most distinctive, charming facets of her style. She has a sharp eye for embellishing an ensemble with a well-placed bow or brooch. And carefully executed, her jewelry always enhances, never overwhelms.

As the examples above demonstrate, Mrs. O also knows how to get mileage out of her accessories. She's a master at putting an inspired, fresh spin on the same pieces to make them feel completely brand new. As you might have guessed, these floral pins are again the work of Mrs. O's jewelry designer of choice: Erickson Beamon. This is our final installment of profiling Mrs. O's Erickson Beamon gems. Seven brooches and a strand of gold pearls later, we're more enamoured than ever. We hope you've enjoyed admiring these beauties up close as much as we have.

Images used with kind permission from Erickson Beamon / Showroom Seven New York

Petite Peace Maker

Down the home stretch of the campaign trail, Mrs. O was regularly spotted wearing a distinctive and optimistic pair of necklaces - one displaying a silver "Hope" charm and the other a petite diamond peace sign. The latter, in particular, has drawn an impressive following on this site. We've received several impassioned emails exclaiming, "I must have that necklace!" in eager search of the designer information.

And while the designer remained a mystery at the time, we're happy to finally shed some light. The party responsible is Lena Wald, a Los Angeles based jewelry designer whose necklaces and earrings are favored by the fashion forward celebrity set including Gwyneth Paltrow, Katie Holmes and Charlize Theron. Mrs. O purchased the white gold and diamond peace sign necklace as Trabert & Hoeffer Jewels on East Oak St. in Chicago. We do love Mrs. O's local shopping habits.

Should you want your very own, you can check out LenaWald.com, with an online boutique "coming soon" or AlohaRag.com, which has the necklace in-stock and available in both white and yellow gold. At $320, the necklace is a bit of an investment, but perfect for a holiday wish-list.

The WWD Sketches

Peter Som for Mrs. O; Courtesy photo via Women's Wear Daily

Fashion bible WWD rang their directory of designer friends with a dream assignment: Design an ensemble for Mrs. O to wear on Inauguration Day (Ball appropriate or otherwise). Judging by the vast number of responses, inspiration clearly runneth over. But interestingly, WWD reports that many of Mrs. O's current favorites and a few "majors" declined to submit sketches. Before we decode that tidbit, enjoy the gorgeous sketches submitted by the truly impressive cast of designers below.

Isaac Mizrahi Monique Lhuillier Carolina Herrera Badgley Mischka Betsey Johnson Chado Ralph Rucci Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Diane von Furstenberg Koi Suwannagate Marc Jacobs Christian Lacroix Michael Kors Oscar de la Renta Zac Posen Tracy Reese Rodarte Rachel Roy Peter Som Elie Tahari Tuleh Kai Milla Nicole Miller Reem Acra Zero + Maria Cornejo Click here for the WWD article and slide show. And afterwards, we'd love to hear which designs get your vote.

Erickson Beamon Starburst

Image used with kind permission from Erickson Beamon / Showroom Seven New York

While fabricated stories about Mrs. O's jewelry run rampant - something just didn't seem right from the start - we thought we'd continue to highlight the true classics. The brooch that started it all. It was this starburst in turquoise and silver that first caught our eye and will be forever synonymous with the night Mrs. O took the stage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. At the time, it reminded Elizabeth Snead of the L.A. Times of the rising sun in the Obama campaign logo; we tend to agree. A perfect accent to Mrs. O's turquoise Maria Pinto sheath dress, this is a statement piece we hope to see again soon. Credit for this stunning brooch again goes to Erickson Beamon, whose line can be found at Beyond 7 in New York and Ikram in Chicago.

A Name to Remember: Jason Wu

Image used with kind permission from Jason Wu

Mrs. O has introduced a new name into her sartorial repertoire: Jason Wu. For her interview with Barbara Walters last Wednesday, Mrs. O wore an ivory raw-silk dress with hand-embroidered rosettes from the designer's Spring/Summer 2009 collection. In review of the collection, Style.com said this of Mrs. O's selection: "For the money, a fits-like-a-glove black-on-white floral tapestry sheath was a standout." All The Rage informs us that Mrs. O first became acquainted with Wu's line thanks to the discerning eye of Vogue Editor at Large, Andre Leon Talley. Mrs. O subsequently purchased four dresses from the designer's Spring Summer 2009 collection.

Update: While this account may very well be true, Heard on the Runway informs us that this particular Jason Wu design was purchased through Chicago's Ikram boutique per a special and top-secret request from owner Ikram Goldman. Check out the blog's latest post, featuring an in-depth profile on the dress and exclusive quotes from the designer.

We first became aware of Wu earlier this year when one of our favorite guilty indulgences, Teen Vogue, featured the designer in a DIY profile. The project was inspired by the hand-painted black and white print dress from Wu's Spring 2008 collection. At only 26, the Taipei native (by way of Vancouver, Tokyo, Paris and New York) is a young designer on the rise, continually praised for his ladylike designs and outstanding craftsmanship well beyond his years. 

Another Mrs. O link - after enrolling at the Parsons School of Design, Wu interned with designer Narciso Rodriguez. This summer he was named a finalist for the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Prize. In his official bio, the designer's ethos is described as this: "Harking back to the days when women were always polished and styled to perfection, the Jason Wu collection aims to revitalize the art and perfection of dressing with a relaxed and youthful attitude." It's no wonder Mrs. O has taken such a liking to his designs.