Oscar de la Renta Slams Michelle Obama's Buckingham Outfit As Major Designers Feel Ignored

While Michelle Obama has made lesser known designers like Jason Wu, Thakoon, and Isabel Toledo household names by wearing their labels repeatedly--the first lady has worn Jason Wu at least three times on her European trip alone--WWD asks where the love has gone for big name designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren. Bridget Foley writes that it would be a great boost to a fashion industry in economic crisis.

And it sounds like some designers are getting downright cranky.

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"American fashion right now is struggling," says Oscar de la Renta. "I think I understand what [Obama and her advisers] are doing, but I don't think that is the right message at this particular point....I don't object to the fact that Mrs. Obama is wearing J. Crew to whatever because the diversity of America is what makes this country great. But there are a lot of great designers out there. I think it's wrong to go in one direction only."

He also took a jab at the outfit the first lady wore to meet Queen Elizabeth: "'You don't...go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.'"

Donna Karan took a more positive tone:

"I hope and believe that this is just a moment," says Karan. "And I hope to be able to dress her, and not only dress her but address her, sit down -- I'm interested in her totality as a woman."

And Vera Wang also weighed in:

"I love seeing young designers and their vision and how they grow and all of that," she says. "On the other hand, of course, I wish she would consider some of us, because I think we also have contributions to make."

Do you think Michelle Obama should branch out and wear the bigger luxury labels?

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Comments

[bassy]

Well with her and her husband having 90% (or more) of the American people supporting their efforts. I do not thinks SHE needs to worry about whether YOU thinks that she dresses "accordingly or not", which all seems very trivial when you consider that there are more important issues in America than her dress. I do not think "fashion" was the focus of the summit.

[Googolygoo]

Better check those figures again, bassy...

[bassy]

Ok, Googolygoo, I probably embellished (the 90%) a little bit.

Are you sure you are not Oscar? I am still trying to get me some of those designer clothes (for free).

[yomi]

u have said it all?the purpose of the summit is not the dress, i support u,

[Googolygoo]

PS She is not where she is because she is Harvard-educated or a lawyer and professional in her own right, she is there because she is married to the fellow who was elected the President of the United States, SHE needs to recognize that and dress accordingly. She represents America, not the south side of Chicago back in 1996.

[janeyre]

Laura Bush, dressed like a Matronly old lady... Where were you, when she was holding sway?

[Bettysdad]

Actually, Obama is President because of who he married.

Michelle earned waaay more than O for many years, and enabled him to engage in his political career.

Like all right wingers, you don't have a clue.

[Googolygoo]

"Actually, Obama is President because of who he married."

Run that by the American people and see who agrees with you. Not a single vote was cast for her as First Lady, so please re-read your citizenship handbook. Obama is president on his merits, anyone by his side would've gone along for the ride. Men with political aspirations pick mates who are up for the task or they dump them and marry someone who is. She's no Hillary, but she really, really wishes she was.

[ChiEg]

You're really quite hung up on Mrs Obama aren't you?

Weren't you breastfed.­..? Or just plain miserable and sad...

No amount of anonymous internet bashing is going to make her use your crappy suggestion­s...

If you haven't noticed, or maybe you have...she­'s no push over!

And boy am I glad;

Michelle Obama is absolutely divine!

[alexandrovich]

She is great - smart, beautiful and warm.
But I bet she would never talk trashy like you.

[Javonne Rushing]

yo no one cares about your stupid a$$ opinions of Michelle, "she is Harvard-educated" blah blah blah, so whats your point, the woman has an education and who gives a rats crap if she wears Jason Wu, Thakoon, Isabel Toledo, Gucci, Burberry, or what ever, and for your information she is representing America with her outfits, they give a message to the world that you can be very important and still be comfortable in what you wear. Now until she's walking around in a belly showng shirt and wearing apple bottom jeans with holes in her pants then yeah I'll be with you on that subject...­. but until then shut the h3ll up and get a life

[Googolygoo]

The designer togs are donated, so it's not a show of solidarity for the struggling in America. The problem is that she has no sense of decorum. The bare arms and too-casual­-for-the-o­ccasion clothes are not what heads of state and their spouses wear to official events and such. It's not young or fresh or groundbreaking, it's low-brow and wholly inappropriate for her position as the First Lady.

[bassy]

"wholly inappropriate for her position as the First Lady" according to whose book of standards? And when was the last time that book of "appropriate standards" was reviewed or revised, in 1899? Oscar should stick to dressing his supermodel(s). Jackie O. wore plenty of bare arms outfits (although they were designer clothes) to similar functions. After all the Obama(s) did run on change. "A Change You Can Believe In"

Maybe it is time for a change in to the book of what is considered "inappropr­iate/appro­priate" fashion, but just in case I am writing to Oscar I want you to know that will take any of your left over fashion that you want to get rid of (as I do like you stuff) and I will wear them appropriately.

[Googolygoo]

I'm not talking about Oscar. She WEARS American designers, so your point is moot., and to say a design house is struggling is a ridiculous statement in and of itself. It's not the tag, it's the drag. Mrs. Obama needs to dress like the First Lady, not a 32 year old office assistant.

[glorialovelace]

The clothing first ladies wear is NOT donated. They pay for it themselves.

[Bettysdad]

You would not have thought of a single word in your post if someone on the radio hadn't repeated official Republican talking points to you, as if they were facts.

[Edyta Espasa]

No sense of decorum - well put! I mean seriously.­.. a sweater outfit to a state visit at the Buckingham Palace.... seriously?

[sjpersonal]

Seriously her arms AGAIN!!! Please please name one former first lady who actually had arms toned enough to get away with wearing sleeveless dresses. Maybe Jackie Kennedy who was thin but not toned.

Michelle is a young woman I would be extremely disappointed if she begain dressing like Laura, Nancy, Hillary etc.

This is a new era, get used to it.

[peskime]

I think its a generational thing, Oscar de La Renta is old school, very old school as in Nancy Reagen.

[LovesMyWay]

Michelle is doing the fashion industry a favor with newer designers who are struggling. Oscar's got the cold, hard cash and the name. He needs to get over it. For Michelle to wear designers who are trying to make it shows that she values new talent as well as saving money.

[bassy]

Maybe Oscar should send her some of his outfits that he feels might be suitable to her size and body frame. Talk is cheap! What is he doing about it - other than wanting someone to pay some outrageous amount of money for fabric that is made from cheap labor and sold to the American public for outrageous prices, and if you know anything about sewing you will notice that a lot of these designer items do not have the same attention to details that our designer clothes use to have in the past. If you look at them very closely they have several flaws, because they are being mass produced in countries that do not care about attention to details. They are a rip off. Of course if he wanted to send me some of his clothings for free - rip off or not I would accept them. Oscar should send Michelle some of his clothing. I am sure she would appreciate it. I think she would wear them and if she does not want them he can still send them to me.

[krr02]

my dear oscar....

i am sorry to hear you are suffering in these stressful economic times....

i, too, have seen better days....yo­u see i am retired, and living off my 401k....yo­u ever heard of those?...a­nd i have had a few new challenges­...

but i considered your economical plight, and after careful thought went to your website to see if purchasing a couple of your dresses for my wonderful wife might help your cause....

i went to "dresses".­..then "ready-to-wear", since casual is always nice down here in the south, especially with our schedule of attending grand gaga balls being curtailed this year.... but had a difficult time with your pricing...­.

the most inexpensive casual. ready-to-wear ditty was a "DOUBLE FACE LINEN STRAPLESS DRESS
- BELT SOLD SEPARATELY" for only $1690.....

after thinking..­.. i decided i might feel better helping out a more deserving bunch of americans than YOU...DETR­OIT...espe­cially when i saw i could buy 5 or 6 of your cheapest dresses...­or buy a NEW CAR...

i also see laura and jenna bush and nancy reagan are all dressed by you...and you now feel snubbed...

welcome to the brave new world...

and oscar...

good luck with your bruised ego....

tighten up, and stop whining

[OverIt]

Poll on whether Michelle Obama should wear Oscar de la Renta in the future?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/4/173251/6509

[OverIt]

I voted no.

[PoliSci2008]

Maybe Michelle is dressing inappropriately in hopes of receiving complimentary designer wearing. OSCAR, QUICK, GIVE HERE A FREEBIE!!!!

[wandajbrn]

It seems the majority of HuffPos readers don't admire the Vera Wangs and Oscar De La Renta as much as they thought. I love the fact that Michelle is not fitting into the wall street fashion box that
has left the middle class fashionista's out of the main stream. I, for one am glad to see a First Lady
who came from the middle class and "has not forgotten where she came from!" So what if she didn't dress like she was out of the dark ages to meet the Queen. It certainly didn't bother the Queen much.
And as I recall Princess Dianna never gave a damn about who did or didn't like her way of dressing
either. Michelle Obama, like the President , doesn't fit into the mold of previous box culture that left
so many of us out in the cold. I would rather see what she is going to wear next with interest rather
than criticism. Nobody ever cared what Laura Bush wore or who she wore it in front of. Thank God
for a first couple that can and do think for themselves. NO MORE Crusty old white folk rules of dress.
Screw Oscar, Donna Karan and all the rest of the phony barbie doll seamstresses of yester year.
And hello to the new color of Camelot!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!

Wanda
Mississippi

[gotrr]

Yes, Mrs. Obama should "dress it up" a bit. While most of her outfits are lovely, I think she is taking casualness and diversity a bit far. Her outfit for Buckingham Palace was drab. As it turned out, the black and white looked good again the Queen's pink dress, however, the shape and form of her dress was dull, not at all exciting. She is a young and attactive woman and there is no way one should be describing the outfits she wears to Buckingham Palace as "drab." Not meaning to be tacky, but her outfit was really more appropriate for a funeral than an audience with the world's most famous head of state.

I am no longer a fashionista myself...1­0 years working on Wall Street trying to break the glass ceiling cured me. But I do appreciate great fashion as worn by the wife of a head of state. Mrs. Obama could spice it up a bit...brea­k free of her Chicago style and take a look at what New York haute couture offers. I think Mrs. Obama would just be DYNAMITE in something from Donna Karan.

A. Franklin

[aero56]

Michelle dresses to express who she is, not who some expensive designer wants her to be. No, I don't think she should cave in to this BS. She is different, and people just don't seem to get it, or want her to be herself. And, give her time, maybe she will, on her own, decide differently. I think she is doing swell.

[PoliSci2008]

The young designers have demonstrated what they can offer the FL of USA...but it's obvious they're not up to the task. MOF, I no longer shop at Macys or Nordstorm (and can't afford Saks5th or Bloomingdale), b/c I don't like what these new designers are offering (big prints on flimsey fabrics) and have resorted to buying online.

Do you think Michelle Obama should branch out and wear the bigger luxury labels? OH HELL to the YES.

[liminal67]

Oh come on... Oscar....w­ho cares

http://pitchbendpost.blogspot.com/

[gentillesse]

While I know that some think the fashion thing is trivial, it is ingrained in our culture. Of course we know and love that Michelle is her own woman, Harvard educated and wonderful, however it seems that we are always "all about the dress." I mean, think Oscars and any major award shows. While it is comparing apples to oranges remember when Sharon Stone wore the Gap shirt to the Oscars? She looked great. Go J. Crew!

Regarding the seasoned designers, I think it is wonderful that Michelle is wearing up an coming designers. Everyone deserves a break and the seasoned designers in particular who are commenting have had more than their share of celebrity wear over the years. It seems more that this is such a historical moment and to think that they are not a part of it leaves them feeling out of sorts. 4 years is a long time and I am sure that Michelle will get around to wearing many designer clothes-both seasoned and new!

[mleigh]

Many women in this country are more interested in the fact that Michelle Obama is a strong intelligent woman, not that she shops a certain label. Being authentic will carry you much further than any designer label.