First Puppy O

Photo credit: Flickr user George's Photos // Creative Commons

Admittedly this post is not Mrs. O centric, but for a family that likes to be well coordinated, the choice of first puppy is critical. What stylish breed should the Obama first puppy be? Vote for Puppy O here: UPDATE: In a press conference today, President-elect Mr. O discussed the subject of the First Puppy. Because oldest daughter Malia is allergic, the family is looking for a hypoallergenic breed, but does want to adopt a shelter dog. This news should make everyone quite pleased! We had no idea, but there's quite a range of hypoallergenic breeds; unfortunately none of our recommendations make the cut.

Through Elizabeth Peyton's Eyes

Image used with kind permission from the New Museum

We first became aware of artist Elizabeth Peyton when we moved to New York City and visited the then recently re-opened MoMA. Immediately captivated by her small scale portraits, many of celebrities such as John Lennon and Chloe Sevigny, we couldn't help but feel excited when we heard the news of her latest subject. Yesterday, Elizabeth Peyton's Michelle and Sasha Obama Listening to Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention August 2008 joined the retrospective of her work at the New Museum in New York City.

The painting was likely inspired by a photograph from August 28, 2008, the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Mrs. O was seated in the audience, wearing Thakoon's Radzimir Kimono dress, while her youngest daughter Sasha napped on her lap. Without question, Mrs. O will have tremendous cultural influence as first lady, and this early example sets the bar quite high. We find Elizabeth Peyton's painting to be a touching tribute to mother and daughter that equally projects Mrs. O's strong sense of self and easy sophistication. And if it wasn't already, it ensures the Thakoon frock will be forever etched in our memory.

A few choice excerpts from Senior Curator Laura Hoptmon's interview with the artist: On her choice of subjects: "There's a very specific kind of person that I'm making pictures of. It's who I'm very interested in and identifying with. And sort of see as ... very hopeful in the world. I see them as great role models." On her frequent use of celebrity:

"Celebrity in itself is not that interesting to me. But it is interesting what people do. I see it as such a positive thing to reach so many people. And that something very personal can communicate out and radiate in a general way." On the purpose of her portraits: "The point is to make a likeness, but also to make a piece of art. I want to make something magical ... that needs no explaining."

Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton New Museum, New York City October 8, 2008 - January 11, 2009

Must Read Mrs. O

The Mrs. O media attention continues. And the dress! If it's at all a litmus test for the attention Mrs. O's style will receive in the White House, we're in for four years of fashion frenzy. Thought we would point you to a few of our favorite reads:

Several gems from the New York Times:

- Fantastic, must-see slide show: The First Lady's Style

- Mixed opinions about the dress, plus Andre Leon Talley weighs in on Mrs. O's stylist, or lack there of: That Dress? Everyone Has an Opinion

- A look at how Mrs. O will balance being a mother, public figure and budding style icon in the White House: Family Begins to Balance State Work With Fun

From the Wall Street Journal "Heard on the Runway": Designer Maria Pinto Ready for White House Duty

From WWD "Memo Pad": Michelle Obama to Vogue?

From New York Magazine "The Cut":Michelle Obama Wears Spring 2009 Narciso Rodriguez on Her Big Night

From L.A. Times "All The Rage": Michelle Obama, first lady of style

From BlackBook: First Lady Elect Michelle Obama Shocks with Narciso Rodriguez Dress

From across the pond at the Daily Telegraph: Michelle Obama's election night dress upsets America's fashion crowd

Must See Mrs. O

We began our morning by watching The Today Show's great profile on Mrs. O, which highlighted some of her best style moments and discussed the influence she'll bring to the White House. Presidential historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin, comments:

"Because of the kids, she's going to be mom-in-chief, that's her absolute priority. But just the mere fact of her style and her flair, it's going to make her reminiscent of Jackie [Kennedy] ... On the otherhand, this is an extraordinary moment in history. She's going to want to do something and use that platform for work/family values."

Our First Lady

Photo credit: Flickr user Barack Obama via Jeffrey Katz for Obama for America // Creative Commons

Mrs. O, our first lady. We are thrilled! To celebrate this historic evening, Mrs. O wore a Narciso Rodriguez frock from the designer's Spring 2009 RTW collection. Mrs. O paired the dress with a black cardigan and kitten heels, adding a touch of sparkle with diamond bangles and earrings. Malia and Sasha were adorably coordinated in red and black.

Clearly there are a range of opinions about last night's dress, many of them quite strong. And while admittedly it's not our favorite of Mrs. O's frocks, we don't feel as negatively as some. As others have observed, it would have nice to see the dress sans cardigan.

One of the strengths of the design is the hourglass shape created by the diagonal bands of black satin in contrast to the red textured fabric. Already a rather complex design, the addition of the cardigan perhaps cluttered the look and diminished the hourglass effect.

For you adamant naysayers, New York Magazine does point out that the Narciso Rodriguez collection the dress stems from was one of the most critically acclaimed of New York Fashion Week. Though not our Maria Pinto prediction, Narciso Rodriguez was another likely candidate. Mrs. O has been seen in his designs several times before, most recently at the second Presidential Debate.

Update: There's a great piece on BlackBook in praise of Mrs. O's dress. The author asserts the dress is Mrs. O's "most commendable fashion statement as of yet." Judging by the comments left here, it seems most would disagree. But this polarization is a good thing. It means the dress is interesting, which is far better than the alternative - boring. Love it or hate it, this dress will forever be part of our memory of last night and our first look at Mrs. O as first lady (past wishful thinking aside). We will begin eagerly anticipating the Inaugural Ball.

Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2009 Collection: Photo courtesy of Narciso Rodriguez