Michelle Obama seems to be single-handedly thrusting unknown designers into the fashion stratosphere. First, there was Jason Wu who, before the now infamous Inaugural Gown, was known only in fashion circles.

Sophie Théallet is the latest no-name to get noticed arguably from being a favorite of today's jackpot when it comes to celebrity endorsements, the First Lady. Earlier this week the French-born designer, who specializes in boho-luxe designs (read: very expensive and pretty hippie-like dresses), won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund which gives $200,000 to deserving upstart designers. While the honor is voted upon by members of the CFDA, it certainly didn't hurt that only months before, Michelle Obama wore Théallet's dresses to a number of events including Senator Edward Kennedy's funeral.

So who is Sophie Théallet? Turns out, she's one of those behind-the-scenes stars of the design world. According to her bio, she was tapped by Parisian department store Le Printemps to design her own collection right out of design school. After that, she paid her dues as an assistant designer to Jean-Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaïa where she was dubbed his right hand woman.

Three years ago, she moved to New York and started freelancing for various fashion brands. In 2005, she launched resort line Motu Tane with beauty guru Francois Nars.

The Obama family is definitely leaning modern, with Rothko, Degas and Diebenkorn among the artists represented. They've also included a word painting by Ed Ruscha. Not wanting to deprive the public of the opportunity to view works on display, the Obamas limited their choices to artwork in museum storage.

There's now a lot of money hanging from those White House walls. "Red Band" by Rothko, "Berkeley No. 52" by Diebenkorn and "White Line" by Sam Francis together are estimated to be worth between $20 million and $30 million. Throw a piece by Jasper Johns into the mix – specifically "Numerals, 0 through 9" – and you get a sense of the collection the Obamas have assembled.

Even with access to a collection of that caliber, though, I'd still never take Obama's job. And, there aren't enough Rothkos out there to change my mind.

The chatter about Michelle Obama's shorts last week was deafening. Google the subject and 9 million entries pop up. Well, make that 9 million and one, including this post. It blew away President Obama's mom jeans episode last month documented by only 1 million entries.

People care deeply about the way people dress. But it's a mystery why. Why the hell do we care? I mean, it's kind of embarrassing that we paid so much attention to a lousy pair of shorts. And modest ones at that.

Something in our primitive dinosaur brains kicked in when we saw Michelle Obama step off Air Force One. We weren't sure if it was okay. Eventually, the media asked us to weigh in and, after thinking about it with our evolved brains, 80 percent of us said it was fine.

Catch Madonna in a pair of shorts and even our dinosaur brains would be nonplussed. Style and cut would be debated, sure, but impropriety would never come up.

Why? Because clothes are inextricably linked to identity. Rationally, how can we whine that Michelle Obama wears shorts when most of us wear shorts? But, deep down, we don't want her to be like us. We want to see an aspirational image of the First Lady descending from the most exclusive airplane in the world. We want Jackie O. Or at least a business-like version...which Michelle Obama is most of the time.

Maybe not in a skinny pair True Religions, but we'd kinda like to see President Obama in a slimmer pair of jeans, say from Lucky Brand Jeans. That dovetails with our image of him as a hip, modern guy. Mom jeans don't fit, both figuratively and literally.

Toywatch watches are pretty popular, especially since Oprah endorsed them a while ago. I have to say that I'd like to see Oprah maybe get a lesson in watch appreciation so that she can at least recommend different types of watches. Right now she seems partial to flamboyantly colored plastic timepieces (as she also endorsed Tok watches). Now, aside from that Toywatch watches have a lot to offer. You get that Rolex Submariner style look, in a bunch of fanciful colors, in light weight plastic and with a quartz movement. The style is nice actually, and I like the idea behind the brand. I am concerned though that for almost two hundred dollars you are overpaying for a watch that is plastic and has a very basic and inexpensive movement. So what you are paying for is a fashion statement and to be part of a growing club of celebrities that have been known to wear the watches.

Michelle Obama is an ad hoc celebrity of course, and she has been recently seen with her family wearing a purple Toywatch in Paris, France. The specific model is the Neon Plasteramic Ultra Violet watch. A 38mm wide plastic timepiece that ironically reads "Professional" on the dial. This watch collection is available in a variety of colors and is certainly a bold statement, with an equally bold price. If you like it, you'll be among a long list of other people who do. Just be careful with it as the watch is plastic - just like a toy. Michelle Obama has been seen wearing other watches as well, such as a Cartier for her official White House portrait.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Diners in New York City's Greenwich Village got a surprise Saturday night when the President and First Lady joined them for dinner. The First Couple ate at the Blue Hill restaurant before seeing a Broadway show "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" at the Belasco Theater. The NY Daily News reports that when the couple left the restaurant the other diners stood up and applauded them. Diners were searched before going into the restaurant and the entire block was closed off.

The menu at Blue Hill New York focuses on local food sourced mostly from Blue Hill Farm in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. Guests can choose from the regular menu or opt for the "Farmer's Feast," a five-course tasting menu. Entrees including Hudson Valley chicken pot au feu and Berkshire pig stew are in the $30-$40 range. The President and First Lady have expressed an interest in gardening, farming and healthy food options so this restaurant, which showcases fresh fruit and vegetables and simple preparations was a natural choice.

Like designers Jason Wu, Loree Rodkin and others, jewelry creator Tom Binns recently got a Mrs. Obama boost when the First Lady wore one of his creations at the black-tie dinner for the National Governor's Association. The tangled mass of pearls worn above a glittering Peter Soronen gown made a dramatic statement. Binns designs pieces with a punk couture sensibility honed by working with Vivienne Westwood and Macolm McLaren.

Yes, there are safety pins in his collections, often rendered in smooth gold and affixed to a riotous bulk of chains. But Binns also does pretty, there are Art Nouveau influences, as wells as gothic skulls, crosses and necklaces that pair rhinestones with tumbled glass. The effect is a beautiful nonsense completely in line with his Dada leanings.

The LA Times's Booth Moore profiled Binns this week, revealing a charming curmudgeon who's a bit of a workaholic. He is currently producing 30 collections with price points ranging from the low hundreds to around $25,000. He recently opened his first store in New York City. Binn is sanguine about his Obama moment. He's quoted in the profile as saying "t's actually the integrity that's precious, not the material. Value is not what they say it is, it's what you feel it is. And she looked like a million dollars."

Michelle Obama's fashion choices continue to raise eyebrows. Even her sneakers aren't safe. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden pitched in at a Feeding America event. Mrs. Obama wore a casual sweater, capri pants and a pair of shiny suede and pink metallic sneakers from Lanvin. It turns out that the sneakers with grosgrain ribbon laces cost $540 and this has tongues clucking. The NY Daily News reports that the kicks, which come in denim and satin versions have been selling well all season. Given that Mrs. Obama often wears shoes by Jimmy Choo and other expensive designers, it's not clear why the sneakers are so provocative. Is it because they are casual footwear? Given the controversy perhaps next tiime she'll head to J.Crew for the sneakers too, the most expensive pink Jack Purcell pair sells for $195.

Of course people are talking about Michelle Obama's choice of wardrobe for her official White House image located on the White House website. The attire while elegant, is distinctly modern and does not draw attention away from the face. Associated Press writer Caryn Rousseau reported on the photograph and commented on the first lady's choice of accessories including her jewelry and wrist watch. For the photograph, Michelle Obama chose her steel Cartier Tank Francaise - a popular Cartier Tank watch that is tasteful and luxurious without being showy - a good choice for any First Lady. The watch comes in both male and female models with various levels of gilding.

Michelle Obama's subtle yet sophisticated taste shows in her choice of wearing the undecorated version of the watch in steel, although the watch is available with gold and with diamond settings. The White House portrait of the first lady does not make the model of the watch clear, but the trained eye is easily able to pick up the recognizable timepiece. Cartier themselves expressed surprise and excitement over the picture as they had no idea she would be wearing the particular watch for the occasion.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Michelle Obama has already taken a rake to the White House lawn tohelp put a kitchen garden in, now the First Family is taking matters into their own hands when it comes to White House decor. New York magazine reports that Barack and Michelle Obama have decided not to use taxpayers' money to renovate their private quarters at the White House. Traditionally new presidents have $100,000 of government money to outfit their rooms. But the Obamas, who hired famous interior designer Michael S. Smith. will not be using public funds or accepting free goods to redecorate their quarters. Because it will be out of public domain, the exact budget for the Obama overhaul isn't known. Michelle Obama has expressed interests in brands like Pottery Barn but that might be a bit of a waste of Mr. Smith's talents.

Like many other couples, the President and First Lady went out to dinner on Valentine's Day. The pair dined at a Chicago restaurant which is owned by Oprah's former personal chef, Art Smith. Table Fifty-Two specializes in high-end versions of classic southern food like shrimp and grits, crab cakes, pan-seared catfish, jambalaya with sides of macaroni and cheese and collard greens. According to the Chicago Tribune, Smith, who was Oprah Winfrey's chef for ten years, greeted the couple and whisked them away to a private dining room. The dinner destination apparently surprised some local foodies who were guessing that the Obamas might end up at Spiaggia for Italian food or at Topolobampo for Rick Bayless's Mexican/Southwestern fare.Table Fifity-Two is known for its generous portions, is Mrs. Obama toting home the leftovers in the picture above?

At the start of December, Jason Wu called it a "long shot" when asked if he would be designing for the inauguration. Looks like the long shot came through. Young designer Jason Wu was the designer of Michelle Obama's white inaugural gown. Like Isabel Toledo who designed inauguration outfit Michelle Obama wore earlier, Jason Wu is an American designer born elsewhere (Isabel Toledo was born in Cuba, Wu was born in Taiwan). Both also attended Parsons in New York. President Obama wore a white bow tie with his tuxedo. Mrs. Obama also wore diamond drop earrings and a diamond cuff bracelet from Loree Rodkin to match the sparkle of the beaded gown. Wu's gowns generally cost between $3,000-$6,000.

Why is what the new first lady wears at the Inaugural Ball so important? Is it just a fashion moment or is it something more. The gown is donated to the Smithsonian (following tradition Mrs. Obama will be donating hers after the ball) which does make it a part of history. But it isn't just that, it's the idea that the image of the first lady in her gown is a symbol of what the next four years will bring. At this critical moment in history, Michelle Obama's fashion choices seem to carry particular weight. The piece from Forbes above gives a little history on inaugural gowns and why we should care so much about what one woman wears on one day.

Another Illinois-based business getting a boost from the Obamas is the Cooper's Hawk Winery. The Cooper's Hawk Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine will be served for the official toast to the new first lady at the Illinois State Society's Illinois Inaugural Gala in Washington D.C. on Monday. The winery, which has restaurants in Orland Park, Burr Ridge, Wheeling and South Barrington, will also be serving red and white wines throughout the event. The Blanc de Blanc sells for $13.99 a bottle and most of the Cooper's Hawk wines are in the under $25 range. The winery purchases grapes from across the United States including Washington, California, Illinois and Michigan and produces over 125,000 gallons of wine a year.

[via Chicago Tribune]

Hot young designer Jason Wu, who we mentioned recently on this blog, got a big boost into the national spotlight last week when Michelle Obama wore his #17 from his Spring 2009 collection for her interview with Barbara Walters. The $3,510 raw silk dress with hand-embroidered rosettes is part of a line of elegant evening gowns and ladylike dresses selling in the $1,000 to $6,000 range. The dress features hand-embroidered florets with French knots that took 100 hours of labor in a New York studio. Wu told the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Runway that Mrs. Obama paid for the dress. It bears noting that Wu's fashionable and feminine Spring 2009 line features more than a couple of ball gowns which could be perfect for an Inauguration gala but apparently Wu isn't focusing on that, telling the WSJ that it's "a long shot."

She loves her inexpensive outfits from the mall, but Michelle Obama will soon be sporting something much fancier than anything you'll find at J. Crew.

A spokesman for top Italian designer Giovanni Bosco has confirmed that President-Elect Barack Obama is looking to purchase a $30,000 Harmony ring made of rhodium and encrusted with diamonds as a thank you gift to his wife Michelle. We expect the future First Lady to receive the ring in time for her husband's January inauguration ceremony. The gift is a thank you for her support throughout the last two years of campaigning.

One of the world's rarest and most precious metals, only about 25 tons of rhodium are mined each year, setting the price at over $7,660 per ounce -- or about ten times the cost of gold. The ring may be uncharacteristically extravagant for Mrs. Obama, but we're sure she'll find a way to wear it with all her usual grace and confidence.

UPDATE: Apparently, the veracity of the story is in limbo. Obama's team is flatly denying the existence of the gift, and the purported jeweler has clammed up, refusing to comment at all. Is this just an attempt to paint the soon-to-be First Couple as out-of-touch with the "common American"? Or is it just a silly rumor?