Image by Jewel Samad / Getty Images

Image by Kris Connor / Getty Images

In preparation for this evening's Governors Ball, the first lady hosted a music preview event at the White House this afternoon, featuring Grammy-winning composer and singer Harry Connick Jr. who performed for an audience including young glee club members from a local Washington, D.C. elementary school.

For the event, Mrs. O debuted a sleek new version of her bob haircut, wearing a v-neck dress with a patterned blouse top, paired with an Alaia belt and bolero.

Update: Mrs. O wore a custom sheath dress with gathered leaf print chiffon bodice by Jason Wu.

White House Photo by Pete Souza

Purple has certainly become Mrs. O's color of the season. Above Mrs. O is pictured as the first couple honored retiring White House butler James Ramsey on January 25th. Mrs. O wore a purple velvet cut-out jacket by Azzedine Alaia, which coordinates with the dress worn for Oprah's White House Holiday Special in December, below. For last week's event, Mrs. O paired the jacket with slouchy purple trousers and a printed blouse by Peter Pilotto (thank you, chrystelle, for identifying the latter).

White House Photo by Pete Souza

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Plans this evening? "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special," airs on ABC at 10PM EST tonight. If you missed the special, Oprah as posted clips to her YouTube channel, here.

Any ideas about who made Mrs. O's plum velvet dress?

Update: We have confirmation that this dress is another stunning creation by Azzedine Alaia.

What a lovely, incredibly flattering shilouette on the first lady. We do love the cut-out details on the sleeves and through the skirt. To accessorize, Mrs. O paired a double strand of pearls with a diamond floral brooch - the same worn with her Lanvin dress in Oslo last week.

Image by Jewel Samad / Getty Images

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

Image by Lise Aserud / AP Photos

Image by Chris Jackson / Getty Images

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Dear Monsieur Alaia,

Please give us a sign if the beautiful gown and jacket the first lady is wearing are your creation. The craftsmanship is exquisite.

Best,

Mrs. T & Friends

Update #1: Please have a peek at this image from the Alaia Spring 2010 collection via Red Carpet Fashion Awards. Though there wasn't much question, this is almost certainly the work of Azzedine Alaia.

The more we admire this ensemble, the more we feel in awe. From the finely articulated ribbons of beadwork to the trademark Alaia ruching through the skirt, it is an absolute inspiration. It is the kind of craftsmanship that seems of another era.

As has been observed in the comments, the choice of silver blue, a new color for the first lady, does seem thoughtfully chosen for the Nordic locale.

A fabulous analysis from reader Mark:

"I'm speechless. She looks incredibly beautiful here! I feel like this dress and the jacket she was wearing with it are so perfect for Norway. I've never been there, but I've always had this sort of fairytale image in my mind of Norway. An ice-crystal and snow flake wonderland. Princesses living in palaces carved of ice. Clear, crisp nights with the smell of snow and ice in the air .... That dress, and the way she looks in it, is the embodiment of that image. What a fabulous look, and what a wonderful gesture to her Norwegian hosts."

Update #2: Our tremendous thanks to Jessica Michault, Online Style Editor for the International Herald Tribune, for confirming that indeed, Azzedine Alaia is the designer behind Mrs. O's dress and jacket.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz/Released by White House Photo Office

The White House has just released the most wonderful family portrait of the Os. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, the family sat for the portrait on September 1, 2009. Beautiful!

Update: The fabulous Ari has helped to confirm that Mrs. O wears an Azzedine Alaia dress, seen here. Mrs. O previously wore the dress for a celebration to honor the late Senator Ted Kennedy's birthday earlier this year, here, as well as for the Obama Staff Ball following the inauguration, here.