In Versace, Michelle Obama Sends a Powerful Message at Her Final State Dinner (barf alert)

New York Times ^ | 10/19/2016 | Vanessa Friedman

[simpson96]

On Tuesday night, at her final state dinner as first lady, Michelle Obama solidified her legacy as perhaps the most adept and successful practitioner of the art of political dressing that any administration has seen.

Her choice of an Atelier Versace gown for the Italy state dinner was not only a nice bit of sartorial diplomacy — Versace being an Italian success story, a company often touted as a candidate for a public offering — but, coming less than a week after her magnetic speech in New Hampshire on women and respect, it went far beyond being simply an ambassadorial nod to a guest country’s talent and made a powerful subliminal statement.

The dress, after all, was made of rose gold … chain mail. As much as it was gracefully cut and draped, it also spoke of armor and female strength, of the need to gird yourself to fight for what you believe in. And it was designed by Donatella Versace, a woman who was famously thrust into one of the most difficult situations of all: having to take over and preserve the company founded by her brother after his murder in Miami. And who, despite a fair number of doubts, has ultimately triumphed — in part by transforming the aesthetic of her company from one built on the power of sex to one built on the power of self. (snip)

Especially because Ms. Versace then said, ”I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to dress the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. Thank you Michelle for all the things you did for America and for the rest of the world, for the women in the U.S. and the rest of the world.”

[Glad2bnuts]

I remember that, wasn’t her husband cuckolded on the spot when they both met Seinfeld out of nowhere? Never watched his show, I don’t think he is funny. I have a filter that keeps out communists, it works very well.

[midnightcat]

I don’t remember hearing about that incident, but I do remember that she filed for divorce the minute she got back from her honeymoon. It looked trashy and made a lot of NY gossip headlines at the time. Supposedly she had met Jerry (maybe at the gym??) prior to her wedding, but she still went through with the wedding.....I cannot imagine how awful that honeymoon must have been.