Mrs. O in Floral Jason Wu

President and First Lady Obama met with Senegal's President Macky Sall and First Lady Marieme Faye Sall at the Presidential Palace in Dakar, Senegal today.

For the ceremony, Mrs. O wore a Jason Wu custom white devore floral print chiffon dress. Bottle green pumps completed the look.

An Old Jason Wu is New Again

Mrs. O visited the Department of the Interior yesterday wearing a Jason Wu dress that dates back almost five years, first seen here during a November 2008 interview with Barbara Walters. The dress hails from the designer's Spring 2009 collection, made of ivory raw-silk dress with hand-embroidered rosettes. Several years later, the dress is on-trend with this season's black and white palette. The First Lady embraced other old favorites yesterday, pairing the dress with her famed Alaia belt and a cropped black cardigan. 

State of the Union

In the audience of President Obama's State of the Union address this evening, Mrs. O wears a Jason Wu custom red organza tweed flounce dress from the designer's Pre-Fall 2013 collection. An Alexis Bittar lucite flower pin in warm grey and gold at the shoulder accessorizes the look.

It seems Mrs. Obama is in a Jason Wu kind of mood to start 2013. The back to back to dresses, for the inaugural ball and now the State of the Union, certainly furthers the affiliation between Mrs. Obama and the young designer.

I'm reminded of this article from a few weeks back:

"Michelle Obama's Public Endorsement of Jason Wu" [New York Times]

Update (2/13): In this Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, Mrs. O can be seen wearing a coordinating red coat.

Mrs. O Wows in Ruby Jason Wu

For a second time, Jason Wu has designed Mrs. O's inaugural ball gown. In some sense, it's bit of a surprise. If there's one way to describe the first lady's style, it's diverse. Over the past four years, Mrs. O has worn more than 50 designers, and that's a conservative count. While Jason Wu has remained consistently in the mix - most recently, Mrs. O has worn pieces from the designer's Miss Wu line - new names have emerged too. When polled last week, 10% of you thought Mrs. O would wear Jason Wu for this occasion. This choice indicates a lasting affinity for the designer, and a connection between Wu and Mrs. O that takes on new, even greater status.

As for the dress: the cut of the gown highlights Mrs. O's enviable arms, shoulders and back. The color reads power, and provides an energetic shift away from the subdued hues of the weekend. The lightness and movement of the fabric connotes an easy femininity. All in all, a winning combination.

Per a White House official via the pool report: "The first lady is wearing a custom Jason Wu ruby colored chiffon and velvet gown, shoes by Jimmy Choo, and a handmade diamond embellished ring by jewelry designer Kimberly McDonald. At the end of the inaugural festivities, the outfit and accompanying accessories will go to the National Archives."

Of note, I believe the Kimberly McDonald "embellished ring" is incorporated into the neckline of the dress, per the sketch below. To see more of the first lady's inaugural jewels from Kimberly McDonald, click here.

For further reading:

"Mrs. Obama's Inaugural Wardrobe by Many Designers" [New York Times]

"Picking a Winner Among a Field of Bold Theories" [New York Times]

"First lady Michelle Obama serves as fashion icon" [Washington Post]

A sketch of the gown via CNN's @AlinaChoCNN:

Hanukkah at the White House

The president and first lady hosted a Hanukkah reception in the Grand Foyer of the White House on Thursday evening. The Obamas were joined by Rabbi Larry Bazer to light the 90-year-old menorah, which hails from a temple in Long Island, New York that was heavily flooded during Hurricane Sandy. For the occasion, Mrs. O wore a Jason Wu dress, debuted last year for a holiday event, here. An Alexis Bittar Teatro Modern pin at the collar completed the look.