Michelle Obama perfects spring's bold color trend

First Lady Michelle Obama was on trend today as she departed Chile wearing a neon chartreuse top, cage belt and pants from the spring-summer 2011 Zero Plus Maria Cornejo collection. 

Pairing the crisp, simple top in highlighter yellow with khaki pants and a wide belt in neutral tan leather made the spring season's bold color trend seem effortless. 

The conceptual-cool designer Cornejo was born in Chile and launched her label Zero in New York in 1996, with a focus on architecturally inspired cut and construction. With stores on Melrose Place in Los Angeles, and in New York, she has long been an Obama favorite. 

A Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award winner in 2006, Cornejo recently launched menswear.     

--Booth Moore

Photo: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama depart from Santiago, Chile on Tuesday. Reuters/Luis Hidalgo.

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Kate Middleton's dress sells for big bucks, Michelle Obama dresses for the garden, and Karl Lagerfeld is everywhere

[Updated March 21, 7:35 a.m.] Is there anything Karl Lagerfeld can't do, the Telegraph wonders. He heads up three fashion houses (Chanel, Fendi and his own eponymous label); he's a designer, photographer, illustrator, director and actor. Now he's directing an ad campaign for an ice cream company, and on April 16 is opening a pop-up hair salon for Scharzkopf in his home town of Düsseldorf. [Telegraph]

How great is it to see a first lady looking like a real person? Michelle Obama did Wednesday when she kicked off the spring gardening season at the White House wearing ... well, pretty much what I would in my garden: jeans, sneakers, purple tee, red sweater and (because it is colder in Washington than L.A.) an anorak. [Huffington Post]

Not so down to earth: The see-through dress that drew Prince William's eye to classmate Kate Middleton when she wore it in a charity fashion show while they were college students sold at auction Thursday for 78,000 British pounds (about $125,853) -- six times the price the auction house expected. The buyer? "Nick from Jersey" was all that was known at the time, and we don't think that means "Jersey Shore!" [Guardian] 

Completely not down to earth (but I think I must go buy one!): Panasonic has a new camera, the Lumix FX78 with Beauty Retouch, that automatically retouches your photos as they're shot so you will look your most beautiful. At the touch of a button (or two) you can whiten teeth, eliminate shine, make your eyes appear bigger and add makeup to your face. [BellaSugar]

Snooki isn't the only "Jersey Shore" celeb to get some fashion action. Word comes that Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola has launched a collection of jewelry, Sammi Sweetheart, in partnership with costume jewelry brand RichRocks. [People]

Vanessa Seward, who designed Natalie Portman's SAG Awards dress, is leaving Azzaro. [WWD]

HauteLook, the members-only flash-sale website acquired by Nordstrom last month, is launching a site dedicated to shoes, solesociety.com.  [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

And to end on a note of good news (sort of): Retailers are reportedly scaling back clothing price hikes. They realized consumers are not going to pay more for clothes when we're already paying more for groceries and gasoline. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Karl Lagerfeld. Credit: Cristophe Morin / EPA

(This post originally incorrectly named Dior as the atelier Karl Lagerfeld heads. It is Chanel.) 

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Taraji P. Henson strips down for PETA

-- When our Melissa Magsaysay visited Taraji P. Henson's closet last summer, the actress was down to earth, warm and passionate about her clothes. But she's also passionate about animals and willing to bare all for the cause. She is featured in the latest PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) ad, dressed in nothing but the vine tattoo around her waist. "Be comfortable in your own skin," the ad reads, "and let animals keeps theirs." [New York Daily News]

-- Two princesses-in-waiting are having to contend with the large shadows of their princes' fashion icon mothers. For Kate Middleton, it's Britain's Princess Diana. For Charlene Wittstock, Monaco's Princess Grace. Women's Wear Daily has a fun comparison of the two and predictions about how they might (or might not) influence fashion. Kate "who hasn’t had a public misstep since she began dating Prince William, risks treading safe fashion ground for the rest of her life, which would result in a collective yawn in Britain and abroad," WWD concludes. Charlene, who has been taken under Armani's wing and is being courted by Dior, "can tend to look stiff and slightly uncomfortable in designer duds. She needs to relax and smile more. She will be a princess, after all." [WWD]

-- If you can't get enough of all this royal wedding madness -- like me! --Lifetime is preparing a movie about Kate and Prince William's courtship and wedding. [EOnline] [People]

-- In the world of rock royalty, Tali Lennox, daughter of music legend Annie Lennox and Israeli film producer Uri Fruchtmann, stars in cult Swedish label Acne's newest lookbook shoot. [Telegraph]

-- Paris Couture Fashion Week just wrapped up, with some "awe-inspiring" collections. [FabSugar]

-- Norma Kamali was a keynote speaker at Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Awards Thursday. Among the designers taking home honors were Loris Diran for men's apparel; Fabiola Arias and Bradley Scott, in a tie for women's apparel; Jennifer Fleiss and Jennifer Hyman of Rent the Runway for retail; Marc Marmel for accessories and Betty Lou Moscot for fine jewelry. [WWD]  

--The Obama factor is working for niche jewelry designer Kara Ross, who is getting lots of attention since the first lady wore pieces she designed at the White House Christmas tree ceremony and at the State of the Union address. [WWD] (subscription required)

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Actress Taraji P. Henson, in her closet. Photo: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

More White House state dinner fashion news

Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour is a guest at tonight's state dinner at the White House for the *People's Republic of China. She seems a little informally dressed, no?

First Lady Michelle Obama has accessorized her Alexander McQueen gown with earrings by Kimberly McDonald, the jewelry designer known for her use of natural stones, who splits her time between New York and Los Angeles. The earrings are black geodes surrounded by a mosaic of natural rubies, set in 18 karat gold.

--Booth Moore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Anna Wintour, right, editor in chief of American Vogue magazine, and Shelby Bryan arrive at the White House for a state dinner Jan. 19. Credit: Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images

Updated: Jan. 20, 2011 at 12:28 p.m. An earlier version of this post referred to the White House state dinner for the Republic of China. It was for the People's Republic of China.

Michelle Obama wears Alexander McQueen to state dinner for China

If you thought the first lady's fashion sense was mellowing out, think again. Michelle Obama chose a red petal print silk organza gown by Alexander McQueen to wear to Wednesday's state dinner for the *People's Republic of China at the White House. The asymmetrical neckline is incredible, and the red color no doubt a nod to China.

McQueen, who died last year, was the fashion world's rabble-rouser. But this dress was designed by his successor, Sarah Burton. Red is the color of happiness and prosperity in China, a fact of which Mrs. Obama was no doubt keenly aware. 

-- Booth Moore

Photo: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive to greet China's president at the White House before a state dinner Wednesday. Credit: Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images

*Updated 1/19/2011 at 6 p.m. An earlier version of this post stated that the White House state dinner is for the Republic of China. It is for the People's Republic of China.

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Rain gear to help stay dry(ish), Stella McCartney to open in Vegas and another royal wedding in the offing!

Raining again. I love it. But I'd love it more if I could just watch from the window without ever going outside. Impossible. Fortunately, our Melissa Magsaysay has some tips on rain gear to help stay dry(ish) and look good at the same time -- kind of like Gene Kelly dancing and "Singing in the Rain."

Stella McCartney seems to be one of the busiest designers around. Now, on Thursday, she's opening her first Las Vegas store, just in time for the usual post-Christmas influx of visitors. It's a 2,900-square-foot space at the tony Crystals at CityCenter. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

There's another royal wedding on the horizon! This one isn't likely to get the buzz of THE royal wedding -- Prince William and Kate Middleton, in case you've been asleep --  but we're liking the trend. This time it's William's cousin, Zara Phillips, the daughter of his aunt Princess Anne, who announced her engagement to English rugby player Mike Tindall. The ring is described as a single solitaire diamond with pavé set diamonds on a split shank, set on a platinum band. No word yet on a date. [People] 

Usually we think of modeling as glamorous, but there is a downside. This is physical labor, after all, and labor in which the human being is decidedly secondary to the clothes on parade. A new alliance has formed aimed at offering protections to those in the trade. [WWD] (Subscription required.)  

Gisele Bundchen stars in Balenciaga's spring ad campaign, looking uncharacteristically androgynous, along with a very weirdly menacing male model, Yuri Pleskun, who wears ghoulish makeup and little else. [Telegraph]

Michelle Obama wore a Marc Jacobs sequined sheath from his fall 2010 runway collection at a recent White House function, marking a long-awaited (by some fashion observers) first matchup of the stylish first lady and the designer. [The Cut] 

Postscript to first item: While I've been writing this from my home office, my roof began to leak. Maybe staying inside on a rainy day isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm about to give voice to my feelings ... and not exactly in the way Gene Kelly would!

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Gene Kelly at his finest in "Singing in the Rain."  Credit: American Cinematique 

First lady fashion in India

"Pink is the navy blue of India," Vogue editor Diana Vreeland famously declared in 1962, the year Jacqueline Kennedy wowed the world with her colorful fashion choices during a state visit to that country.

According to Hamish Bowles, who curated an exhibit about her style in 2001 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she wore outfits like this apricot-colored dress (left) so she would be instantly recognizable to crowds. Life magazine has a fantastic online gallery of that trip here.

Or course, First Lady Michelle Obama is quite the fashion plate herself. During her visit to India over the last few days, she has turned up the color, print and embroidery in her own wardrobe. 

For an evening event, she wore a richly embroidered jacket by Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, and a tassel necklace by Indian American jewelry designer Ranjana Khan (wife of designer Naeem Khan, who made the gold and silver sequined gown Obama wore to a state dinner in honor of the Indian Prime Minister at the White House last year). 

During a visit to the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi, she chose a colorful green print skirt by Van Noten, accessorized with a flower pin by Alexis Bittar, and fabulous looking necklaces and bangle bracelets by local artisans.

-- Booth Moore

Top photo: An image of Jacqueline Kennedy with sister Lee Radziwill in India, from "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2001. Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bottom photo: First Lady Michelle Obama tries on a necklace during her visit to National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi on Monday. Credit: Manpreet Romana / AFP/Getty Images

 

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Hilary Duff, Jay-Z and Suri Cruise

We assume you worked all weekend to keep up with the Hilary Duff-Mike Comrie nuptials in Santa Barbara. But there may be sad news for those who wish to gaze upon Duff's Vera Wang mermaid wedding gown. A certain magazine (well, OK, it's OK!) says it will have exclusive photos ... but you'll have to wait until Thursday ... or content yourself with grainy images taken from far, far away. [OK!]

We also assume you thought a great deal about the economy over the weekend. If so, we must inform you that Faith Popcorn, the trend-forecasting guru, has declared that "mindless excess is over." [WWD, subscription required]

We can't assume that you spent a great deal of time imagining Jay-Z in a cardigan ... with patent leather arm patches. But it happened ... this last week ... at Madison Square Garden. [Stylefile]

A new series of Dior lipsticks has been crafted to match the colors of some of the haute couture creations. [The Moment]

The Malibu Lumber Yard, a shopping center that opened to great fanfare last year with such stores as Kitson and Alice + Olivia, is for sale. [WWD, subscription required]

This probably won't surprise you, but Suri Cruise likes to design her own clothes. [NYDN]

Michelle Obama sported a number of ensembles on the First Family's recent visit to the Gulf. And there are photos for those who must take a look. [Huffington Post]

-- Alice Short

Photo of Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie: Getty Images

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Alexander McQueen for auction, Pucci without prints?

We've talked before about Pucci's resurgence on the red carpet, sans the mod tank dresses for which the label is probably best remembered. But can it still be Pucci without wild prints? [WSJ]

Two dresses from Alexander McQueen's Fall 2007 collection will be up for auction. [Vogue UK]

Will Michelle Obama be on the cover of Vogue again? [Fashion Week Daily]

The ugliest summer fashion trends. [The Daily Beast]

Also ugly, but apparently life savers: Boy's Croc shoes save him after electric shock. [Telegraph]

Is Karl Lagerfeld's photo of Claudia Schiffer in dark makeup and an afro on the cover of Germany's Stern Fotografie offensive? [Huffington Post]

Also causing waves: Urban Outfitters' Eat Less T-shirt. [Jezebel]

Can Giles Deacon save Ungaro? [Guardian]

Catherine Malandrino is not joining Lacoste. [Fashionologie]

Three CFDA winners create designs for Gap. [WWD, subscription required]

Courtney Prince's vintage and affordable jewelry. [Style Section LA]

-- Whitney Friedlander

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Photo: Eva Longoria Parker wears Pucci at Cannes. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Designer Barbara Tfank scores with Mrs. O

Add Los Angeles-based Barbara Tfank to the list of illustrious designers who have dressed Michelle Obama. The first lady wore this delightful box-pleat dress with a funnel neck from Tfank's collection to kickoff the Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride at the White House last month. The silk jacquard dress is available by special order from Barneys in New York and Chicago or from Susan of Burlingame in San Francisco.  

The outing was a long time coming. The dress was snapped up by Obama's unofficial stylist, Chicago retailer Ikram Goldman, back in March when Tfank was showing her sample collection in Paris. It wound its way back to the designer's L.A. atelier, into production and into Obama's closet in just days. "I had to have the finished dress in Chicago by Wednesday and it was a Sunday," Tfank said by phone on Tuesday.

Not that she minded one bit. "I am honored that she wore it and honored that she wore it for such a wonderful occasion. I'm very touched," Tfank said.

It's great exposure for the designer whose star is rising with women who put a premium on quality fabrics and timeless silhouettes. Bravo.

-- Booth Moore

Photo: First Lady Michelle Obama with wounded soldiers on April 28 wearing a Barbara Tfank dress. Credit: Samantha Appleton / White House

Barbara Tfank's grown-up glamour for the 'Mad Men' set

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