The First Lady of America is gracing the cover of March's Vogue. On the cover Michelle Obama looks feminine, modern, and strong. She is the new standard for women of her generation and younger women to aspire to. Many First Ladies have been featured in the magazine but only two have ever made the cover. Michelle Obama being the second and Hilary Clinton was the first in December 1998. On the cover shot Mrs. Obama is wearing a magenta dress designed by Jason Wu. The same designer that made her white one-shoulder inauguration gown. Michelle is already being compared to Jackie Kennedy for her style choices. But Michelle is not Jackie and does not care what she wears, as much as we do.
In the article Michelle was interviewed by Vogue's editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley and photographed by Annie Leibovitz. The article focuses on what she will bring to the White House, she wants to open up the White House more to the public, she was raised on the south side of Chicago and does not believe in exclusivity or a members only attitude. "It's never "me" and "mine" and "some," but "we" and "our" and "all." The article also focuses on her first priority, being a mother, Michelle still wants to take her daughters, Malia and Sasha, to school every day that she can. "I like to be a presence in my kids' school. I want to know the teachers; I want to know the other parents," she said.
This is Vogue so of course they dished on fashion. This is Michelle's take on fashion:
"I love clothes. First and foremost, I wear what I love. That's what women have to focus on: what makes them happy and what makes them feel comfortable and beautiful. If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion."
As much as we can see Michelle seems to love wearing beautiful clothes she is still very practical in what she chooses to wear. Michelle is not focused on fashion but she appreciates it. When she was criticized for wearing her black cardigan over a Narciso Rodriguez dress this is what she had to say about handling the criticism, "I'm not going to pretend that I don't care about it. But I also have to be very practical. In the end, someone will always not like what you wear—people just have different tastes. Some will think that a sweater was horrible, but I was cold; I needed that sweater!"
The First Lady personally picked her own outfits for the shoot, which does not normally happen for a Vogue cover. She paired designer with affordable pieces, which we cash-strapped fashion lovers can relate to and appreciate. Michelle often chooses accessible retailers like J. Crew. After interviewing Michelle, Andre Leon Talley had to say this: "She's so accessible, natural and normal. There's nothing affected about her. While most cover models have their clothes chosen for them, she doesn't need any help. She loves fashion and knows what works for her. She's never had a conversation with me about, 'What do you think?' or 'How did this look?' And I'm glad for that."
This probably won't be the last Vogue cover for Michelle Obama, but what is so apparent about Michelle Obama is that she is not trying to be some fashionista, but her clothes simply complement her personality and her goodwill. The First Lady is not only inspiring us to be a better dresser but she inspires us to be a better person.
Michelle in affordable retailer J.Crew salmon wool cardigan, top, and tweed skirt.
Michelle wearing a Narciso Rodriguez dress.
Jackie Kennedy, in a similar pose to the Vogue cover.
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