As a fashion girl by day and a raging liberal by night, Michelle Obama's new book, The Look, is high on my holiday wish list. The former first lady's third memoir hits shelves on Nov. 4, but before its release, she sat down with Robin Roberts for an exclusive 20/20 interview.
"I made it a point never to be the one talking about what I was wearing," Obama said. Now, almost a decade after leaving the White House, she opened up about her personal style, its purpose and evolution. She did so in style, of course.
Obama's longtime stylist, Meredith Koop—whom she's worked with since 2009—sourced a double-denim look from Entire Studios for the television special. She layered a white tank top underneath the jean jacket, which she decorated with a black floral brooch.
Obama chose jeans with rolled-up hems, an of-the-moment trend seen on recent runways. The cuffs stretched just high enough to reveal her pointy ankle boots, which came in black leather to match her statement brooch. Diamond stud earrings and her signature ring stacks acted as her only accessories.
Obama's double denim felt surprisingly casual for a nationwide TV broadcast. Even so, the ensemble felt aligned with her signature book tour attire. While promoting The Light We Carry in Nov. of 2022, matching sets were her modus operandi. During her Washington D.C. stop, Obama chose another Canadian tuxedo, this time from Ganni.
Obama's denim set signaled a strong, intentional return to the sartorial conversation—one she was always a part of (albeit quietly). "I really thought about what I wanted to say with my fashion. I wanted to talk about inclusion, diversity, opening up opportunities, and fashion was one of those tools that allowed me to do that,” Obama told Roberts. “The designers that I chose—there were young designers; there were women designers; there were also immigrant American designers.”
Her white, one-shoulder gown at the 2009 Inaugural Ball, courtesy of Taiwan-born Jason Wu, immediately comes to mind. "He had just gotten started [and] is a fabulous designer with a beautiful story, an immigrant American.”
Wu also created Obama's second Inaugural gown in 2013: a crimson red halter-neck number. "That was the point—to find the best designers, to give them a stage to show the world how great they were. That's what makes America great."
During her eight years as first lady, Obama steered clear of the conversation around her fashion, because she "was worried that it would become a distraction." Still, she wanted to "show up with thought, and consideration, and energy, and light.”
With The Look, Obama is "reclaiming" her fashion story, one Canadian tuxedo at a time.
