First Lady Michelle Obama is Now Officially a Fashion Plate

Posted by: Audiegrl

NYT/Eric Wilson~Not that there were any doubts before, mind you. Often called the First Lady of Fashion, Mrs. Obama has a sense of style, as we all know by now, that rivals Jackie Kennedy’s. She has boosted the spirits of the American fashion industry with her unconventional mix of avant-garde newcomers and off-the-rack Talbots, and claimed a Council of Fashion Designers of America style-icon award along the way.

Still, nothing quite says you’ve made it like an actual plate bearing your image. (Mrs. Kennedy had more than her share, not to mention salt shakers and creamers, but those came much later.)

Last week, advertisements began appearing in magazines like Entertainment Weekly offering a $39.99 porcelain commemorative plate from the Bradford Exchange. It shows Mrs. Obama in her Jason Wu white inaugural gown. “Richly edged in platinum and over 100 hand-set faux jewels,” Bradford says in its ads. It is the first in a series of plates featuring Mrs. Obama’s fashion choices that the company plans to issue, said Suzanne Magnuson, a product manager. Next up: the black sequined Peter Soronen gown from the National Governors Association gala!

“It is only partially due to the amazing fashion choices she has made, but also because people find her inspirational and also accessible,” Ms. Magnuson said. “She’s a real person they can admire.”

And even eat off. There will be at least four plates in the series, enough for a small dinner party.

Not to be outdone, the Danbury Mint, a competitor in the collectibles market, is offering a $34.95 plate with a montage of six outfits, including the Wu, the Soronen, an Isabel Toledo and that glittery red and black Narciso Rodriguez from election night. Available May 20, it declares Mrs. Obama to be the First Lady of Elegance.

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