Bon Voyage

 Photo by Saul Loeb / Getty Images

The Os are off to Moscow! Mrs. O wears a floral Talbots dress, last seen for her May 2009 cover of Essence, paired with a yellow Dear Cashmere cardigan and clear Sonia Rykiel belt. What a lovely looking family!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Image used with kind permission from Essence

Mother’s Day came early to Essence magazine, and we couldn’t be more excited. Their May issue features a beautiful, warm photograph of Mrs. O and her mother, Marian Robinson, on the cover. Inside, their first joint interview is a delight, with lots of new tidbits—including the fact that the First Lady has yet to redecorate her office. Mother and daughter share insights into how they handled the transitional move, their beliefs about raising confident kids, and their love of strong marriages.

The fashion choices for the magazine’s photographs are as refreshing as springtime itself. Mrs. O indulges her love of floral prints again, this time wearing a silk rose print dress from Talbots. The print is a watercolor style, featuring large lagoon blue and turquoise roses plus green leaves, both detailed in black. Over the dress (which the Talbots web site tells us is a sleeveless fitted bodice design with a pleated skirt), Mrs. O is wearing a tissue cotton Kelly green sweater edged in blue by Hanii Y. Belted over the sweater is a wide silver-studded belt by Sacai.

Mrs. Robinson wears a Dear cashmere sweater, her own layered loden green and white tops and khaki pants, and a vintage three-strand pearl necklace mixed with a necklace by Martin Margiela. The Margiela piece consists of large white beads partly interwoven with a dark chain. By layering the pearls and the Margiela necklaces together, Mrs. R brings a contemporary bit of sass to a traditional pearl piece. The reach and mix of fashion here is fascinating.

Talbots is a traditional brand, started in Massachusetts in 1947, and long known for the preppy approach to style, including sheath dresses and twin sets. There are Talbots stores across the country, plus shoppers can buy from them via catalogues or online. Hanii Y is half of the design team of Y & Kei; she draws on her Korean heritage to bring a streamlined cut and bold colors to her work.

And Sacai is a Japanese design house based in the Marais section of Paris. Having established its own niche market over the past 10 years, Sacai feels no need for runway shows or fancy press presentations. It is a fashion insider’s designer, as is Margiela, a Belgium designer so mysterious that he has never had his photo taken.

How did such diverse designers, of varying availability, come together here? The answer is, once again, the master of the mix: Chicagoan Ikram Goldman. She carries Hanii Y, Sacai, and Martin Margiela at her cinnabar lacquered boutique. By combining traditional American clothes with edgy fashion insider accessories, the message truly says, We are one. It’s a sentiment that both Mrs. O and her mother express in the interview. When asked if she had a Mother’s Day message to pass on to readers, Mrs. Robinson said, “Things are going well for me. For other mothers, I hope they can enjoy their Mother’s Day as peacefully and as happily as I will.” What a great way to lead into spring. Image used with kind permission from Essence

Double O

Photo credit: O Magazine

The April 2009 cover of O was unveiled today, and features a very spring-like First Lady Mrs. O. This marks the first time anyone other than Oprah Winfrey has appeared on the cover of the magazine since its inception in 2000. For the cover, Mrs. O wears a coral Michael Kors dress and a soft yellow Dear Cashmere cardigan. In her signature style, Mrs. O belted the look with the same clear waist cincher seen yesterday. (Update: Thanks to Mrs. C who has confirmed the belt is Sonia Rykiel.) Oprah wears a lilac shirt dress by Rachel Roy New York. Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times has the full scoop here, including this fabulous quote from our First Lady:

"I know that all I can do is be the best me that I can. And live life with some gusto. Giving back is a big part of that. How am I going to share this experience with the American people? I'm always thinking about that."

Oprah and Gayle are also discussing their February visit to the White House on the show today. When suggested that Mrs. O has been likened to Eleanor Roosevelt, Oprah replies:

"[Michelle Obama] is not likened to anybody. She is her own. She is so 21st century that there really isn't anyone you can compare her to."

Well spoken O!