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Should The First Lady Dress For Fashion Or For Country?

by Justin Fenner | 2:20 pm, January 25th, 2011

Tonight’s State of the Union address is an important event for politics, journalism, policy and media minders around the country and across the globe. But what the fashion industry seems to be concerned about is the message first lady Michelle Obama‘s outfit tonight will send — and whether it will, or even should, send a message at all.

This, of course, is a response to the red and black Alexander McQueen dress Obama wore at the state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao last week. While many bloggers and writers were thrilled to comb a complex mixture of signals about America’s stance on China’s policies regarding regarding copyright protection and workers rights from the the folds of its silk, others were ecstatic that she wore McQueen, a label that rarely, if ever, comes close to Pennsylvania Avenue.

But others criticized the first lady for not wearing an American designer, and Oscar de la Renta was among the loudest — or at least the widest heard. De la Renta’s comment to WWD that Obama should have promoted an American brand was picked up around the blogosphere, including here on Styleite. The designer says he was misunderstood:

“This is an important issue,” de la Renta elaborated on Friday, the day WWD’s item ran. “Some people did not get the point. It’s not [intended] to be negative. Do you think Kate Middleton is going to be married in Marc Jacobs? Or you’d see Carla Bruni dressing in American clothes? This is a big industry in this country. Mrs. Obama does look great. She should take that and do something. She could do a great good for our industry. We need to create jobs here, create jobs on Seventh Avenue, too.”

Even WWD‘s editor Bridget Foley had a few choice words regarding the first lady’s choice of designer:

To wear something other than American at this particular trade-centric mega-fete embarrasses a major U.S. industry that continues to need all the help it can get.

Job creation and the development of American industry, no doubt, will be among the main focuses of President Obama‘s address to the nation tonight. Will it also be a theme of what the first lady puts on her back, or should she have the freedom, like any other American woman, to wear exactly what looks and feels best to her?

Michelle Obama, Oscar de la Renta and a Pretty British Dress [WWD (Subscription Required)]



  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CJQVZCXNQZCYNBEPCP3RDSC5ZQ Steve

    I believe by wearing designers from different nation, the First Lady is embracing the world – we are in no position to isolate ourselves as a nation. S.

  • Isome_bp

    This is a ridiculous question! American designers have their clothes made for the masses in OTHER countries. Wearing an American designed dress would give publicity to the designer, but in no way would create a plethora of jobs on Seventh Avenue.

    I used to work in the industry as a retail analyst and I KNOW that the clothes are not made in America.

  • Kat

    I agree with Isome_bp. Just because the designer is American that doesn’t necessarily translate to American jobs. Even if everyone loves the dress, the knockoffs will be made somewhere else. Everyone is so upset about the economy they are nitpicking everything.

  • inapart

    ……………….

    I believe that she should act and dress as she wants….it’s not her dress that most Americans find disagreeable…..it’s Osama and her politics that we find disdainful.

  • Andi

    I don’t care who the designer is personally, she needs to look DECENT! And since her husband has been President of America she has yet to look presentable to the American people in public! I don’t give a rats behind what she wears in private, when she steps out in public she is representing the American people, and she needs to think if what she is going to put on for a State Dinner, a Funeral, etc will embarrass or make us look good. If it will embarrass us then don’t wear it! It is not like she is not a beautiful woman she is, she just has no fashion sense! She needs to look back at former 1st Ladies and take cues from them. Even going old school would be a great start.

  • http://twitter.com/CestDerrode Derrode L. Rowe

    I get what the deal. They may not be made in America, but McQueen is not made in England last time i recall. It’s made in Italy. It’s about where the designer is based. Not where it’s mass produced.

  • Ftmiller

    She is Not by any stretch of the imagination, A Beautiful woman! she has horrific mouth.
    She is inappropriate with her outfits- I think she would wear a sleeveless vest in the tundra,
    she needs to dress appropriately for her size and position.

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