On the Town in Jasmin Shokrian

Image by Seth Wenig / AP Photo

The first lady was in New York City this weekend, and out on the town to catch the Broadway play 'Memphis'. For her theatre outing, Mrs. O wore a skirt by Jasmin Shokrian, paired with a black top and cardigan, and olive green flats for a hint of Spring color. Very city chic!

The Jasmin Shokrian skirt is a piece we've seen Mrs. O wear once before. Last May, the first lady debuted the skirt for a service event in Washington, D.C., first covered (with a detailed image) here.

Jasmin Shokrian: In Detail

Photo by Yuri Gripas / Reuters

Is it just us, or does Mrs. O's wardrobe grow more exciting by the day? The recent introduction of new names and aesthetics thoroughly delights. One such fabulous example: Jasmin Shokrian.

Last week Mrs. O wore a skirt by the L.A. based designer for her appearance in front of the Corporation for National and Community Service. 

Trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in film, sculpture and painting, Ms. Shokrian infuses her varied artistic background into her designs. 

Podium-pained, we were unable to get a clear view of Mrs. O's skirt, but intrigued by its description: “The fabric is primarily a vintage double silk crepe. The sheer part of the skirt is a band of handmade caught burlap thread encased in silk chiffon and navy silk charmeuse stripes juxtaposed with bands of natural cotton muslin.”

Fortunately, Ms. Shokrian had a collection photo on hand (pictured after the jump), which gives us a better sense of the wonderful detail in this piece. She was also so kind to answer a few of our questions:

Q: Mrs. O's skirt is part of your A/W 2009 collection. What was the inspiration?

JS: For me, this season was about elements of craft mixed with something futuristic. I often piece together narratives to create an imaginary story and work from that. It may be a difficult time for the world, but when we look back I think we'll find that it was a great time of evolution and creativity. This is was really got me thinking about the mix of heritage hand-crafted items and more sleek futuristic aspects. We can slow down a little and take a deeper look at what we are capable of doing and what really makes us happy. I wanted to look at all of these elements, textures I am drawn to and the feelings art can bring us.

Q: What made you mix burlap and silk chiffon, muslin and silk charmeuse?

JS: I often like to incorporate "high and low" textures, but honestly I just felt it was more symbolic at this time. I love to play with the associations that different fabrics have. Muslin and burlap are working fabrics and a bit humble, rough and architectural by association, especially in comparison to silks and delicate fabrics like chiffon.  The juxtaposition is what I'm interested in. I feel it's kind of a reflection of our everyday lives. A detailed collection photo of the Jasmin Shokrian skirt follows after the jump.

Image used with kind permission from Jasmin Shokrian

Of Stripes and Service (Update)

Photo by Yuri Gripas / Reuters

In her ongoing tour of federal agencies, First Lady Mrs. O gave remarks to the Corporation for National and Community Service at the Ronald Regan building in Washington, D.C. this afternoon.

ABC News Blog, Political Punch, has a recap of the event.

Mrs. O told the audience that community service is "the reason that I breathe, " continuing, "It has become my life's work in so many ways."

Mrs. O wore a black camisole and dress full skirt trimmed in bands of white fabric. Mrs. O paired the dress with a cropped cardigan, the same Azzedine Alaia cardigan worn in Prague, and Jimmy Choo kitten heels.

Update: We've confirmed that Mrs. O's striped skirt is indeed the work of Jasmin Shokrian, handmade in her Los Angeles studio for the First Lady (a huge thank you to our tipster). The designer relays: "The fabric is primarily a vintage double silk crepe. The sheer part of the skirt is a band of handmade caught burlap thread encased in silk chiffon and navy silk charmeuse stripes juxtaposed with bands of  natural cotton muslin."

In an email message from Ms. Shokrian this evening, she relayed her delight, "We are so excited and honored to have Mrs. Obama wearing one of our pieces."

Jasmin Shokrian was born and raised in Los Angeles. She has ties to the Windy City, where she attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, graduating with a BFA in film, painting and sculpture. Ms. Shokrain went on to found a collective with several other Chicago artists, exploring three-dimensional sculpture, often using a fabric as a medium. These projects organically evolved into the production of clothing and other wearable objects. Ms. Shokrian now runs her own label, with a studio in Los Angeles.

Jasmin Shokrian's skirt, in all of its exquisite detail, is featured after the jump:

Image used with kind permission from Jasmin Shokrian