From left, Michelle at the fund-raiser; Michelle on The View.Photo: FilmMagic, Courtesy of ABC
You probably knew that deep down inside somewhere, but today we have proof those gut feelings are correct. As it turns out, André Leon Talley isn’t the only one hoping to wrap his styling talons around Michelle Obama — all the famous designers in New York are, too! Okay, so they don’t come right out and say it, but it’s so obvious.
Details are emerging from The Daily and WWD about the fund-raiser held Tuesday night in Michelle Obama’s honor attended by a giant fashion crowd. Tickets to the cocktail reception at the Sikkema Jenkins & Co. Gallery cost $1,000 to $2,300, and tickets to the dinner following at Calvin Klein’s house cost $10,000. Normally such events allow reporters and famous people who draw the reporters in for free, while the regular people who fill the seats cough up the checks. But Michelle’s fund-raiser, it seems, was so exclusive everyone had to pay to attend. WWD unusually relied on many observations from “sources” for its article about the event. And it sounds like all the famous designers laid out the cash, including but not limited to Catherine Malandrino, Erin Fetherston, Cynthia Rowley, Thakoon Panichgul, Ralph Rucci, Nicole Miller, Tory Burch, and Zac Posen. They were all “pumped” to meet her — even though the room was uncomfortably warm — and she dazzled with charm and a chic Isabela Toledo gown and Tom Binns necklace she picked out herself.
At the event Michelle spoke for about twenty minutes about how she met Barack, thought his ears were funny, then went out for a sandwich with him and to a church and started falling in love with him (just how it happens in New York these days, right?). And the fashion designers were beside themselves. Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa called her a “star”; Behnaz Sarafpour said she had never seen a couple like the Obamas in politics in her lifetime and called Michelle’s style “refreshing.”
After cocktails 70 guests boarded what was undoubtedly the most fabulous bus ever in the history of the world (or a bunch of black cars) to head to Calvin Klein’s house. The crowd included LeBron James, Spike Lee, Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman, Monique Lhuillier, Nicole Miller, Isaac Mizrahi, Iman, and LL Cool J (you know — for street cred). Michelle received impromptu applause, and Nicole Miller was struck by her height and called her “pretty fabulous,” “gracious,” and “very intelligent.” We assume at this point the tension between the designers battling to get their garb on her was as palatable as one of those $10,000 buffet meals.
But the most delicious part about the whole thing? The next day when Michelle went on The View she wore a dress from White House|Black Market.
Now in Fashion: Michelle Obama [FWD]
The Party Faithful: Fashion Celebrates Michelle Obama [WWD]
Related: When It Comes to Style, Michelle Obama Holds Her Own
Live-Blogging Michelle Obama on ‘The View’ [Daily Intel]
