Radiant Red

Photo by Yuri Gripas / Reuters

First Lady Mrs. O met with the National Governors Associaton today, greeted by Governor Joe Manchin III of West Virginia as she arrived at the event. Dressed in a radiant red sheath dress, the first lady spoke in an effort to rally support from the nation's governors for her "Let's Move" initiative to combat childhood obesity. For more on the event, the Washington Post has an overview, here.

The choice of bold, red color seemed aligned with the first lady's call to action. As reader Rocky writes: "Mrs.O not only seeks to grab the attention of the governors with her message, but also with her choice of color. It's an inaudible call for people to take action and not slip into the background." Well said, Rocky!

Speaking of the dress, might this be the same MDLR (by Moises de la Renta) frock that we saw Mrs. O dazzle in last August, as seen here? While the lines of the dress are the same, the hue does appear more red-orange in the photos above. I'm awaiting confirmation from MDLR, and will relay once certain. Update: I've heard from MDLR that, "It appears to be an MDLR dress," in the same cut as the red dress, "but a more coral color this time."

Photo by Yuri Gripas / Reuters

Mrs. O Wears de la Renta

Official White House photo by Pete Souza

... but it may not be the de la Renta who first comes to mind.

A few weeks ago we posted about this red mystery dress - a crowd pleaser that the first lady has worn at least twice in recent months, but also one for which the designer has proven difficult to identify.

We've learned that the dress is MDLR, a new, young label led by Moises de la Renta, Oscar de la Renta's son. The dress is a one-of-a-kind piece made especially for Mrs. Obama and constructed from Gandini sponge crepe.

We can rest a bit easier knowing who is behind this fabulous frock - and what a fantastic twist in the story of Mrs. O's fashion.