Brilliant Brooches

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Bill Burke, Page One Photography We love what Mrs. O has done for the brooch. With her fresh spin, what could be a dated, old-fashioned piece of jewelry now feels quite new and of-the-moment. Mrs. O chooses brooches that truly complement her ensembles, picking up a floral pattern or hue in the fabric of her dress. And how she wears them - whether arranged in a series pinned at the neckline or a single statement piece showcased at the peak of a v-neck - is always distinctive. Erickson Beamon is the jewelry design duo behind many of Mrs. O's most dazzling accessories and at least seven of her brooches. The trio of floral brooches Mrs. O wore for the final night of the DNC was the custom creation of designer Karen Erickson, and made specially for Mrs. O. We're thrilled to highlight them and all of their magnificent detail, below. At first glance, these pins may not be the likeliest combination, but against Mrs. O's floral Thakoon frock, they worked seamlessly. Up close, we're privy to unexpected details such as the cluster of pearls on the brooch to the left and the lilac and plum starburst of beads on the brooch to the far right. Sensing a vintage influence, we'd love to know the designer's inspiration.

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

While these brooches are one of a kind, more of your favorite Erickson Beamon jewelry can be found at the newly opened Beyond 7 in New York and Ikram in Chicago. And at a lower price point, Erickson Beamon will launch a new jewelry line through Target's Go International in February. (Thanks for the tip, Roberta.) Early reviews leave us eagerly anticipating its arrival.

The Pearls Come Full Circle

Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK

In 1996, jewelry designer Carolee Friedlander purchased faux pearl clip earrings and a necklace at a Sotheby's auction. But these weren't just any pearls - they had belonged to former First Lady and style icon, Jacqueline Kennedy. At the time, the designer said she planned to produce a special line of jewelry inspired by the pieces. "Jackie loved pearls and we can all relate to that," Friedlander said. It was surely of great delight then, when Carolee staffers realized our future First Lady Mrs. O was a fan of Carolee pearls herself. They first noticed she was wearing the 16mm single strand of Carolee pearls when they saw her profile shot in the February 25th issue of Newsweek. How could they be sure? They could see the signature Carolee heart clasp at the nape of Mrs. O's neck.  Mrs. O has since been seen wearing the same strand of Carolee pearls on multiple occasions, notably paired with the chic purple Maria Pinto dress she wore when it was announced that Mr. O had won the Presidential nomination for the Democratic Party in June.

Photo used with kind permission from Flickr photographer kayakbiker2000

From Jackie to Carolee and now to Mrs. O - we love when life comes full circle. Carolee has now begun to call the 16mm strand the "Michelle Pearls". The necklace retails for $50, and can purchased at Carolee.com.

Photo used with kind permission from Carolee

Black and White Floral Chic (UPDATED)

Mrs. O joined president-elect Mr. O in an interview with Barbara Walters last night, discussing a broad range of topics from the president-elect's cabinet selections to family plans for Thanksgiving. The Inaugural Ball came up briefly, and on the subject of her dress, Mrs. O indicated she hadn't yet picked one. Despite all of the speculation, we're almost certain Mrs. O's entire Inauguration Day wardrobe will remain shrouded in secrecy right up until its debut.

Speaking of dresses though, we were quite fond of Mrs. O's selection for her sit-down with Barbara. In a white sheath dress with patterned black and grey floral embroidery and black piping at the neckline and armholes, Mrs. O looked modern, youthful and polished. Mrs. O accessorized the look with a black and platinum bow pin worn at the collar in her signature style. Click here for a closer look.

The black and white palette is reminiscent of another Mrs. O hit dress: the Donna Ricco shift purchased at Black House White Market and worn to co-host The View in June. We've also noted the return of the bow worn diagonally at the collar. Previously paired with a punchy pink Maria Pinto sheathworn for Mrs. O's More magazine cover in October, and again with the Thakoon Inside-Out Floral Dress worn for the first Presidential debate, the bow offers a feminine touch we're happy to see back in the mix.

Given the holiday - and that black and white was so prominent in many of the SS '09 collections - identifying the designer for this dress has proven tricky. However, we're going to make an educated guess or two. The black embroidery on white fabric was seen repeatedly throughout Narciso Rodriguez Spring '09 collection. He is clearly a favorite designer of Mrs. O's and may very well be responsible for this chic look. We also want to mention Isabel Toledo, who designed Mrs. O's ensemble for a Vogue-sponsored fundraiser back in June. The dress above is similar to Isabel Toledo designs we spotted while visiting Ikram in Chicago, and New York Magazine previously reported that the designer was working on future ensembles for Mrs. O. Might this be one of them?

Finally, we'd like to close by saying our heart goes out to all those affected by the tragic situation in Mumbai. Our thoughts are with you on this Thanksgiving.

UPDATE: We have a new designer name in the Mrs. O designer line-up: Jason Wu. Mrs. O wore an ivory raw-silk dress with hand-embroidered rosettes from the designer's Spring/Summer 2009 collection for her Barbara Walters interview. Jason Wu, only 26, was named one of the 2008 finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Another exciting and unexpected choice from the ever fashion-forward Mrs. O. An All The Rage article from earlier this month gives us further background. Mrs. O was introduced to Wu's line through Vogue's Andre Leon Talley; she subsequently purchased four dresses from the designer's Spring/Summer collection.

A Covetous Trio

Photo credit: Flickr user Barack Obama // Creative Commons

Several of you have written in to inquire about Mrs. O's multi-strand gold and bronze necklace, seen above at a LGBT luncheon during the Democratic National Convention and again in a Details magazine photo. A bit of research reveals the necklaces are by Erickson Beamon, the same designer duo behind many of Mrs. O's brooches. A fresh take on classic pearls, Mrs. O in fact wears three Japanese glass pearl necklaces in bronze, gold and champagne from the Erickson Beamon "Peace at Last" collection. The necklaces above and more favorites from Erickson Beamon can be found at newly opened Beyond 7 in New York, and Ikram in Chicago. Stay tuned for more Mrs. O jewelry exclusives later this week.

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

The Meaning of Michelle

Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK

On newsstands today, Mrs. O appears on the cover of Newsweek, accompanied by a feature article "The Meaning of Michelle" and another brilliant collection of photos tracing back to her childhood. This is Mrs. O's second cover for Newsweek; the first was in February 2008. Oddly enough, we believe Mrs. O wears the same top for this cover that we featured in a post last week. Though the image is in black and white, we can see the pleating at the center of the collar and reflection of the fabric. A color photograph by the same photographer, Charles Ommanney, helps to connect the dots. While it doesn't quite rival our favorite, we do love a Mrs. O profile picture - and unposed, this image conveys openness and sincerity.