Designer Has Fan at Top, but Too Few at the Stores (Obama curse lives)

New York Times ^ | April 30, 2010 | Susan Saulny

[C19fan]

Fashion and politics are seasonal and unpredictable, yet the two came together quite well here for the hometown designer Maria Pinto and Michelle Obama, whose first memorable bursts onto the national scene were often in Pinto creations.

.........................................................

So when Ms. Pinto abruptly put up a “closeout sale” sign in the window of her West Loop boutique and announced that she was folding her fashion business, Chicago — and Pinto devotees all over — reacted with disbelief: What in sartorial heaven happened? “I pushed as far as I could,” Ms. Pinto, 53, said in her first lengthy interview since the demise of her store and wholesale operations in mid-February.

[WaterBoard]

It’s called market forces. No one wants your crappy designs except for a ‘glamorous’ First Lady manufactured by a the media and women’s magazines.

Therefore, no real people are buying your overpriced crap and you go out of business due to an undesirable product.

[wiggen]

Had she designed some dresses that didn’t have to go for top end money,i mean of course if she could demean herself in such a way,then perhaps the first ladies fans could have afforded to buy from her. My pity meter is running on zero about now.

[Steely Tom]

Did she design the “black widow” dress?

[maine-iac7]

She actually made mabelle look classy - not an easy thing - but once mabelle got into the WH - which she refers to as "MY HOUSE" - she turned to other designers - and we saw the long line of boob belts and sweaters that looked like she'd pulled out of her middle school days closet.

On the other hand, Laura Bush was slavishly loyal to her pre-WH designer - and, I thought, could have benefited from a little 'disloyalty' - as her outfits - and here I'm going to get flamed - tended on the dowdy '60's style. Only a lady like Laura Bush could carry them off - but I often wished she'd gone afield a bit.

[all the best]

no

[depressed in 06]

Ms. Pinto needs to learn the lesson that in a socialist utopia dresses must all look alike and cost $3.

[EggsAckley]

The boob belt on the purple dress ruins the whole line of the garment. Very unattractive. The other two are fine.

[Jack Hydrazine]

But I thought those big belt fashions that Michelle has been wearing were supposed to be the next thing in fad fashion! I guess Mrs. Pinto stocked up on too many belts that didn’t move on the sales floor.

[Grizzled Bear]

So when Ms. Pinto abruptly put up a “closeout sale” sign in the window of her West Loop boutique and announced that she was folding her fashion business...

Cool! I'm lookin to get me some discounted, high-quality boob-belts!

[maine-iac7]

The boob belt on the purple dress ruins the whole line of the garment. Very unattractive. The other two are fine.

yep. I suspicion the boob belt on this one had nothing to do with the designer - I rather think that mabelle added that on her own.

the designer may have taken umbrage - and with good cause as it would make her look amateurish - and maybe that caused a rift between the two.

"What! You think my boob belt makes your dress look klutzy? Well, good bye to you! Don't you know I'm the Queen now!"

[Chode]

and the RATS, take another one in the..............................HA ha!!!

[Gaffer]

That there ‘belt’ is a heavy cargo load binder. We can’t have that load fallin’ off goin round a tight curve...

[Vinnie]

Is she the one that dressed Ms.Zer0 in upholstery fabric?

[LibFreeOrDie]

The yellow-green shiny outfit that Michelle wore to the inauguration was designed by Isabel Toledo. Michelle wears (ugly) outfits from a variety of designers; very few have been from Maria Pinto.

[susannah59]

The Maria Pinto designs were some of MO's better choices. Her real problem isn't the designers, it's the way she mixes things up (though the inauguration outfit and ball gown both were fairly ugly). She seems to take things that are pretty decent-looking separately and combine them in such a way that she looks as if she dresses in the dark, grabbing things at random. (Out of her middle school closet, someone said, or out of someone else's Goodwill box).

She's said to have her "own style." I'd call it "disastrous" myself.

Has anyone besides me noticed, too, that she seems to look not at all graceful and ladylike? I've seen umpteen pictures now of her standing (in a dress) with her legs apart and at an odd angle, or striding along like she's got to snatch that cookie out of some poor obese kid's hand.

[snowflake2428]

She probably went out of business because Michelle didn’t pay for any of her clothes. These so-called “rich” Hollywood celebrities are really cheapskates that borrow clothes (even Spielberg’s wife borrows jewelry for the Oscars) and I’m sure Michelle does it too.

[giotto]

There’s nothing unique about those dresses. Is she the one who’s responsible for that dopey boob belt?

[Citizen Soldier]

wearing gold at your husband’s inauguration sends a subtle message you regard it as a royal coronation, very ungracious