Bold Blue Barbara Tfank

Photo by Mandel Ngan / Getty Images

For tonight's State of the Union address, the First Lady wears a stunning sapphire blue twill dress by designer Barbara Tfank. The dress hails from the designer's Resort 2012 collection. On the accessories front: an elongated marquis pin from Alexis Bittar.

The radiant blue dress is somewhat of a departure from Mrs. O's more subdued dresses of SOTU past: plum Isaac Mizrahi in 2010 and grey Rachel Roy in 2011. It also represents a shining moment for Barbara Tfank, an artisanal, Los Angeles-based designer, who created standout dresses for the First Lady in 2010 and 2011.

Update: Directly following the State of the Union address, the president made a phone call from the Capitol to inform John Buchanan that his daughter Jessica was rescued by U.S. Special Operations Forces in Somalia. The moment is captured in an official photo released by the White House.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The President and First Lady marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a community service project at the Browne Education Campus in Washington, D.C. Tonight the President and First Lady will attend the Let Freedom Ring concert in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Kennedy Center.  

Update: The President and First Lady at the Kennedy Center last night:

Holiday Giveaway: Sparkle, Sparkle

Season's Greetings!

I'm excited to announce this year's holiday giveaway, which is extra special. Alexis Bittar has generously offered a Leger Rose Gold Dogwood Pin just for one of you. As you know, Alexis Bittar is one of the First Lady's favorite jewelry brands, seen here, here and here in 2011.

To enter: Simply leave a comment on this post between now and Wednesday, December 21 at 9:00PM EST. I'll announce the winner (selected via random drawing) on Thursday morning. The winner must have a U.S. mailing address for shipping purposes.

As a thank you to Alexis Bittar, please check out the brand's Facebook page, Twitter feed and website.

And to you, dear readers, thank you for making this a vibrant little online community, three years and counting. May your holidays be merry and bright!

xo Mrs. T

Update: Congratulations to reader mincey! I used Random.org to generate the winning comment, #163. Thanks to everyone who entered. Happy Holidays!

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Photo by Carolyn Kaster / AP Images

The First Family appeared at the dedication cermeony of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. today. On the fashion front, Mrs. O wore a cranberry-hued dress by Alaia. A cardigan and pin at the waist completed the look. We've seen this dress once before, in September 2010, here.

Update: Mrs. O wears an Alexis Bittar Resort bowtie pin.

To read more about the dedication ceremony:

"President Obama Dedicates MLK Memorial" [Time/AP]

National Design Awards Luncheon

Images by Susan Walsh / AP Images

The First Lady hosted a luncheon for winners of the 2011 Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards at the White House yesterday. Speaking to the audience, Mrs. O shared:

"These men and women have breathed new life into our homes and our workplaces, the clothes we wear, the products we use every day, and even the most basic ways we process information." 

To peruse the full list of winners, which include J. Mendel in Fashion Design and Knoll in Corporate & Institutional Achievement, click here.

On a style note, Mrs. O appears to have worn the same Derek Lam dress (reworked to be sans sleeves), first debuted during a trip to Indonesia in November 2010, here. Gunmetal fan earrings by Alexis Bittar complete the look.

"Michelle Obama honors top designers at the White House" [BusinessWeek]