Neighborhood Inaugural Ball 2009 - The POTUS and First Lady

A few posters on The Fashion Spot have speculated that she is wearing a design by Jason Wu. Here is the unembellished version of one of his recent designs (worn by the model with horrible shoes):



I guessed correctly that Mrs. O would go for a strapless number to show off those arms but I am surprised by the embellishments on the gown. I thought she's go for something simple and off-set it with accessories so her choice here is a pleasant surprise. Although personally, I prefer the feather free version above, I think she looks just as elegant as can be.

It seems everyone in the fashion industry has been waiting with baited breath to see this dress. It's funny to me that so many people seem to be pinning the future of the American fashion industry on Michelle when so many of those same people have largely disregarded the diversity and influence of "black style" in general.

So your turn, what do you think of the gown? Is they hype over Michelle's clothing gone too far? How much are you influence by "celebrity" style?

S: Reuters, AP, Corbis, Yahoo, Google, LSA