Michelle Obama: The Art of Fashion Diplomacy

By Hyacinth Mascarenhas

As the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama’s sartorial choices have captivated the nation and the world during her years in the White House.

From her arm-baring dresses to gorgeous formal gowns by both American and global designers, it seems like the first lady can do no wrong. As the ongoing subject of many best-dressed lists, fashion blogs, and scrutinizing fashionistas and designers alike, Obama has been widely praised for her conservative yet classy fashion sense and style.

There is, however, much more to be said about the first lady’s carefully made fashion choices in terms of business and diplomacy.

“She wears a lot of American labels, but she is not afraid to wear something designed by someone who is from overseas or a foreign company,” said Patricia Mears, deputy director at the Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology. “She embraces that modern trend of wearing things that are very high-end and also things that are very affordable. This blending of high and low is what keeps her modern. There is also a very glamorous edge, and I think she does that on purpose, as part of giving the White House this blend of high style and modernity.”

Foreign vs. American labels

Although Obama has often been questioned about her decisions to wear a foreign label rather than American designers at key events, she says she is no different from another woman in terms of fashion.

“I like to patronize American designers, and the vast majority of the clothes that I wear are [designed by Americans.] But there are a lot of other designers that have cute stuff, too,” Obama said. “I don’t think that I’m any different from any other woman, other than the fact that people see what I wear and then they talk about it.”

Responding to criticism that she doesn’t always keep American designers in mind when it comes to her fashion choices, Obama says she simply wears what she loves and finds “cute.”

“I don’t buy a designer, I buy a dress,” she said. “I buy the thing that looks good. And then it’s like, oh, who is this?”

Obama’s contemporary fashion style, however, stems from more than just her penchant for pretty clothes. She also seems to have mastered the aesthetics of wardrobe diplomacy and cultural awareness, especially when visiting other countries, which serve as a nod of respect to the culture and traditions of her hosts. Her design decisions also have significant impact on individual designers generating an average of $14 million in clothing sales and stock prices for a brand every time she wears one of its products, according to a Harvard study.

Cultural awareness and fashion diplomacy

Over the years, Obama has sported numerous lesser-known labels and independent designers from the Middle East and South Asia. Her sartorial endorsement, however, gave them the recognition factor and boost they needed to put them on the map in the global fashion world.

In every public appearance, interview, international visit or state event, one of the most closely held secrets is which designer will hit the jackpot and have Obama wear his or her design.

In 2009, she stepped out at the Administration’s first state dinner in a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind champagne-colored strapless gown with silver sequins forming an abstract floral pattern that was custom-made by Indian-born, U.S.-based designer Naeem Khan. She completed the look with a stack of bangle bracelets and dangling earrings.

The guests of honor at the dinner also happened to be Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gurshan Kaur, making her fashion choices particularly fitting and thoughtful.

“Most people wouldn’t know one way or another about Naeem’s background, but if one sentence gets mentioned to the prime minister, then her subtleness would pay off,” said Hal Rubenstein, fashion director for InStyle magazine.

Her discreet fashion choices also speaks volumes about cultural awareness, understanding and collaboration without necessarily endorsing a specific designer from that country in every public appearance or opting for the traditional, but obvious sari option.

Her slim, grey pearl-buttoned, knee length tunic dress on the first day of her trip to India in 2010, for example, was an appropriate yet chic choice as a reference to the traditional Indian Kurti. At a dinner hosted by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s house, she donned a black Dries Van Noten jacket embroidered with gold and silver Indian thread and an Art Deco necklace by Indian designer Ranjana Khan. She also wore a tangerine brocade dress when the Indian Prime Minister and First Lady visited the U.S. in 2009 and a turquoise Peter Som dress and matching cardigan when visiting Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi – both references to India’s vibrant color palette.

“She paid tribute to India’s fashion heritage, wore Indian-American designers yet stayed true to her style,” said White House fashion blogger Mary Tomer. “I think she got the balance just right.”

South Asian favorites

For Indian designer Naeem Khan, having the first lady wear his designs was an honor that also boosted his business both nationally and internationally.

“When you are endorsed by the first lady of the most important country in the world, that has impact,” said Naeem Khan. “After her, I had a lot of important women wearing my clothes, royalty from other countries. It wasn’t new markets, but my business grew bigger in the Middle East and Asia.”

Obama has also shown her support for numerous other international designers and brands including Tunisian-born designer Azzedine Alaia, Nepalese American designer Prabal Gurung and Indian designers Rachel Roy, and Bibhu Mohapatra. Known for her statement necklaces, Obama has also worn pieces by jewelry designer Ranjana Khan, wife of designer Naeem Khan, on multiple occasions including a state dinner at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia.

For Odisha-born Bibhu Mohapatra, who had never been on a plane before 1995, his moment came when Obama wore his sleeveless citrus-print sheer yoke cocktail dress on The Tonight Show in 2012.

“She is super real. She has a trained eye and knows what exactly looks good on her,” said Mohapatra. “I knew she would be taking my dress on her trip to the Olympics. Before she appeared on the Jay Leno show, I got a call from her staff at the White House saying: ‘Watch out for the show. You’ll be happy.’ That was the longest 10 hours I had spent before I could watch the show at night.”

Although the New York-based designer’s creations have been work by other famous celebrities from Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie to Hilary Swank and Glenn Close, he says an endorsement from the first lady is different.

“I’ve already dressed quite a few celebs but there is something different about Michelle Obama,” said Mohapatra. Her reach is huge. Even her staff understands what her support means to me and my fellow designers. I haven’t met her as yet but I’ve heard that she has said that she feels cute in my dress.”

During her time in the White House, Obama’s fashion choices, whether diplomatic or purely aesthetic, has undoubtedly had enormous impact on foreign labels on both American and foreign fashion designers. As one of the most stylish First Ladies since Jackie Kennedy, Obama’s bold and diverse wardrobe has resonated globally in terms of style, business and diplomacy.

“It’s the gift that doesn’t stop giving,” said Naeem Khan. “Even in an economy like this, glamorous things like these are selling in the stores. And for that I say, ‘Thank you, Michelle Obama.’”

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