MY SHOWBIZ SOSYAL Column

FASHION PLUS
By: Rowel Canlas

Michelle Obama, Woman of Style

In a jiffy, she has become the world’s esteemed style icon.

With her imposing height (5’11), MICHELLE OBAMA could have been a sought-after international model. But she opted to be a lawyer instead.

An alumna of the prestigious Harvard Law School, Michelle worked at the Sidley Austin Law Firm in Chicago as an associate specializing in marketing and intellectual property.

There, she met U.S. President Barack Obama in 1988 who was working as an intern. After several years of courtship, the two finally decided to get married in 1992. They have two beautiful daughters, Malia and Sasha.

In 1996, she became an associate dean of student affairs at the University of Chicago and established the University's first community service program.

Aside from being a doting wife to president Obama, Michelle has become more famous because of her impeccable fashion flair. In a span of several months, she has been hailed as America’s latest fashion diva.

What’s so noticeable about Michelle is her excellent style of dressing. No matter what clothes she wears, she does it with so much panache. Be it a designer’s gown or off-the-rack, Michelle carries it like a seasoned fashionista.

Case in point, the gown she wore during one of Barack’s inauguration balls. She looked every inch a woman of style in that white long gown executed by young, unknown designer Jason Wu.

The gown is made of ivory silk chiffon, embellished with organza and Swarovski crystal rhinestones and silver thread embroidery designed especially for the first Lady. Needless to say, Yu became a household name in the fashion world because of Mrs. O.

”It's thrilling. For a young designer, I couldn't ask for anything more than this," said Wu, whose design style combines modern lifestyle dressing and haute couture, according to his website.


During Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony, the towering U.S. First Lady looked very regal in a sheath dress matched with yellow-gold coat designed by American-Cuban designer Isabel Toledo. She matched it with a wide diamante neckline.

Michelle never fails to give new and young designers (like Wu and Toledo) the chance to showcase their designs. She could have easily tapped other famous designers but she opted to expose relatively unknown ones.

A quote in the current issue of TIME Magazine from designer Thakoon Panichgul was evoked instantly when he saw Mrs. O one afternoon, “She is someone with authority and style that people can look up to,” says Panichgul.

“It’s a new way of looking at fashion. It’s about confidence, power, intellect and being real.”