Yes WU Can!

by Paul Frost
When Michelle Obama, now the First Lady, walked onto the stage for her husband's Inaugural Ball, she looked stunningly beautiful. She wore the gown designed by a young talent named Jason Wu. Wu said he designed the dress with "hope, a feeling of newness, a dream like quality to the gown and making a moment of history".

Like everyone else that night, Wu was sitting at home eating pizza with friends and taking in the monumental moment. What he didn't know was that the first lady was about to glide out wearing his design. Michelle Obama gloriously wore the white, one-shouldered ball gown that Wu had hopefully dreamnt into creation for this very moment in history.

Wu had no warning, not even a hint that Michelle would be wearing his design.
Wu was working with Ikram Goldman from Ikram in Chicago, to design a dress for Michelle for a formal occasion. The only memo he got was that the dress had to sparkle.

Jason never had the opportunity to meet Michelle but when he finished the dress, he personally delivered it to Chicago. The dress laid on his lap during the entire flight.
Wu recalled "there was no way I was checking it in." So when Jason was watching the Inaugural Ball he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Michelle wearing his one-of-a-kind gown.

This truly shows the kind of woman Michelle is and the kind of First Lady she will be. She could have picked anyone from Valentino to Armani, as she undoubtedly had all the fashion houses hoping she would choose one of their gowns. But she went with a young designer of 26 years old, probably knowing that this moment would change his life as well.
All this power in one dress, its incredible.

Jason Wu was born and raised in Taipei and came to Vancouver when he was a boy. At age nine he learned how to sew, draft patterns and sketch. He later went to study fashion in Tokyo and finished his senior year of high school in Paris, where he realized his dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Next, Wu enrolled in the prestigious Parsons School of Design. Parsons alumni includes Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, Narciso Rodriguez, the list goes on. In January 2008 and July 2008 he was nominated as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

Now, Jason is gearing up for Fashion week, his sixth show, and biggest one yet. He will have more press then ever before and be one of the hottest and most anticipated shows. The world knows who he is now and will be waiting to see what he will do next. Fingers crossed Michelle will be at Fashion week sitting in the first row at Jason's upcoming show.