Kanye West Performs for Chicago Public Schools
Posted by Lynette Holloway AOL Black Black Voices on Jun 16th 2009 6:18PM
Well, it seems as if Kanye West has finally calmed down, especially with news of girlfriend troubles and a brutal caricature on South Park.
West returned home last week to Chicago to carry out a mission started about two years ago by his educator mother before her untimely death: To help combat the skyrocketing national high school dropout rate.
The Chicago native performed twice on Thursday at the historic Chicago Theatre for the Kanye West Foundation, which he co-founded with his mother, Donda West. It was the first major foundation event since her passing.
"It was definitely a great experience just to see the work that the team put together and to take it to this level,'' West told AOL Black Voices on the red carpet. "I've been to many foundation events and I feel like now this foundation is at a point where it can really expand and the ideas can really be heard on a national level. And it can become what my mother dreamt about.''
More than 2,000 students who improved their grades during the school year were treated to a free performance. The star-studded red carpet event in the evening was the second Stay In School Benefit Concert and was attended by more than 3,000 people. It will air July 25 on the cable channel Fuse.
The performances served as a catharsis for West, he acknowledged to AOL Black Voices. Surprisingly subdued, he said he hoped the effort would have a major impact on helping students stay in school. The foundation works with schools to partner with community organizations to help indigent youth gain access to music production.
Tickets ranged from $49 to $500 for a VIP reception and benefit concert attended by John W. Rogers, founder and chief investment officer of Ariel Investments and who played basketball at Princeton University with Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson; Michelle Williams, singer from Destiny's Child who sported a new short asymmetric hairstyle; Raven-Symoné, actress; Matt Forte, a running back for the Chicago Bears; and Antoine Walker, NBA free agent who attended Mt. Carmel High School on Chicago's South Side, also Craig Robinson's alma mater. Many of the celebrities said they were there to support West and the work of his foundation.
"I am here to support Kanye and his show,'' said Raven-Symoné, who said she is impressed with the work of his foundation. "I love his music.''
Matt Forte, a running back for the Chicago Bears, said education is important, saying he went to Tulane University in New Orleans to earn an undergraduate degree in finance after his first year in the NFL and maintained a 3.7 grade point average.
"It's important,'' Forte said. "I support education all the time. Kanye is from Chicago and everyone who listens to his music will come out in support of education."
NBA free agent Antoine Walker said the event on Thursday was his second live West performance. He described West as a rarity who can rap and produce.
"What Kanye is doing is terrific,'' Walker said. "Crime is growing in Chicago. With the senseless crime and the events that have happened, it's important that as athletes that we give back in some type of capacity. It's important that we continue doing events like this to raise money and put positive programs together for the youth.''
A limber West delivered an energetic evening performance to an estimated 3,000 fans. The tuxedoed band played on two sides of a raised platform with West performing on a slightly lowered level in the middle. Flashing video screens covered the front of each platform.
West, casually dressed, performed solo. He roused the crowd to its feet for many of the selections new and old, including 'Flashing Lights,' 'Homecoming,' and 'Through the Wire.' He performed 'Hey Mama' without missing a beat, which was not the case shortly after his mother's death, according to some news reports at the time.
He rocked the crowd with 'Put On,' especially during a dialogue when he talked about Chicago. "When I'm working on Jay-Z's album, all I'm thinking is they goin' love this in Chicago...We have to be more creative to give children a reason to feel they can make it...''
David Abrams, a sophomore at Highland Park High School, and co-founder Zack Harris attended both concerts. That's because he played special role in helping to bring the events together. The efforts were praised earlier in the day at a news conference attended by Mayor Richard M. Daley and other city officials. Abrams and a friend came up with the idea to form Students Helping Our World (S.H.O.W.) and created a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools, the city of Chicago, former Chicago Bears quarterback Kyle Orton and the Kanye West Foundation to put on the events. On the red carpet, Abrams was proud to see the fruition of his work.
He really connected with the kids Abrams and Harris said of the high school concert. "It was perfect,'' Abrams said
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Jennifer Hudson: A Family's Nightmare
By Michelle Tauber, Alex Tresniowski
She Escaped Mean Streets and Found Fame. Now the Oscar Winner Copes with the Murders of Her Loved Ones
PEOPLE Magazine
November 10, 2008 Vol. 70 No. 19
She was in the middle of a double publicity blitz for her self-titled debut album and her new movie The Secret Life of Bees, but last month, when Jennifer Hudson learned her mother, Darnell Donerson, was ailing, she put everything on hold. Right before the movie opened, "we got word that Jennifer's mom was sick," says Bees producer Joe Pichirallo. "She said she couldn't do any more publicity because she needed to be with her mom."
Her decision hardly surprised those in the actress-singer's close inner circle. Jennifer's family—especially Darnell, brother Jason and sister Julia—"were all very tight," says Richard Lyons, who was Jennifer's acting coach for her Oscar-winning 2006 film debut, Dreamgirls. "From what she told me, they did everything together. And of course when she started moving on in her career, they were all behind her. Her mom was her rock."
Now Jennifer's world has been shaken to the core—her beloved family foundation obliterated in an astonishingly brutal rampage. The nightmare began on Oct. 24, when Darnell, 57, and Jason, 29, were found fatally shot in the house where Jennifer grew up in the crime-ridden Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side; after those killings, Julia's 7-year-old son, Julian, was missing from the home. A hysterical Julia, 31, immediately called Jennifer, 27, who had been in Florida with her fiancé, David Otunga. "Despite her being who she is, she is still my sister," Julia, a school bus driver, said at a press conference on Oct. 25. "She was screaming. She flew in right away."
For three days Jennifer prayed with her sister, offering a $100,000 reward for Julian's safe return. But on Oct. 27 their worst fears were realized: Julian's body was discovered in Jason's white Suburban SUV, which had been abandoned miles from the family home. The boy had been shot in the head, but police believe his murder took place after the killings in Donerson's house. "I just want to pray for her as much as I can, because when you feel like your rock is gone, then you feel alone in the world," says Lyons. "I don't know how anyone can get through something like that."
Who committed the killings—and why—is the subject of an ongoing investigation. Within hours of the discovery of the bodies at Donerson's home, police arrested Julia's estranged husband, William "Flex" Balfour, 27, for violating parole for a sentence of attempted murder and carjacking in 1999. (He served nearly seven years in prison.) At press time authorities would only say that Balfour, who was Julian's stepfather, was a "person of interest" in the crimes.
For surviving members of the Hudson family, the focus was not justice, but grappling with unimaginable grief. When the time came to identify Julian's body at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, it was Jennifer—arriving with a few other family members—who stepped forward to handle the task. "She was incredibly strong for her family," says spokesman Sean Howard. "She was the leader." Jennifer positively identified Julian—a child whom Jennifer's aunt Dorothy describes as "such a fine person, very bright." Howard recalls that "everyone in the room was crying. But they're a strong family. They held hands."
The murders stunned Jennifer's friends in Chicago as well as her Hollywood peers. "My heart and soul goes out to her," says American Idol judge Randy Jackson, who has known Jennifer since her Idol breakthrough in 2004. "The world is an ugly place right now." Jennifer also received condolences from Sen. Barack Obama, who had personally requested that she sing the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August. "Michelle and I were absolutely heartbroken," he said in a statement.
Despite Balfour's arrest, Chicago police cautioned that many questions remain. "We don't know what the motive really was," Chicago police superintendent Jody Weis said at an Oct. 27 press conference. "But clearly you have people who do know each other, so it wasn't a case of a stranger-type homicide." Valerie Griffin, a neighbor, says Balfour—who had been thrown out of the Donerson home last winter—would say threatening things after domestic fights. "He used to say, 'I'm going to kill Julia and the whole family,'" says Griffin. "But I think he just said it out of anger. In my heart, I don't believe he would do it because of the love he has for Julia." Balfour's mom, Michele, defended her son, saying, "They have the wrong person."
It is the type of senseless violence Jennifer seemed destined to escape when she left Englewood to become one of Hollywood's hottest young stars. The youngest of three children of Darnell and Samuel Samson, a bus driver who died when she was a teen, Jennifer revealed her talent early on. "My mom tells this story of when I was a baby in church," she told Australia's Sunday Telegraph Magazine in September. "They were teaching the choir a note, and they couldn't hit it. I was just 8 months old, but I hit the note."
She found jobs at Burger King and performed on a Disney cruise ship until she tried out for American Idol in 2003. Despite her impressive pipes, she was prematurely ousted by viewers and lambasted by judge Simon Cowell for the way she dressed. And yet the plucky Chicagoan got a happily-ever-after: She attended an open casting call for the film version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls and beat out 800 other hopefuls for the role of Effie. Once again she credited her mother for helping her realize her dreams. "Anything she tells me I can do, I end up doing," she told Sister 2 Sister's November issue.
It was only fitting, then, that Jennifer was accompanied by her mom for her crowning night in Hollywood: the 2007 Oscars, where the first-time actress—who by now had elevated her fashion game from off-the-rack to couture—scored a Best Supporting Actress trophy for Dreamgirls. It was one of the very few times Darnell allowed herself to share her daughter's spotlight. "Jennifer was always telling me, 'Oh, I always gotta force my mom to come [to events],'" says Lyons. "Her mom was so proud of her but so humble." Her success also brought great pride to her community. "If she made it, we all made it," says local activist Bobby Israel. "Not too much comes up out of here—nothing positive. She was still just Jennifer to us."
Despite Jennifer's pleas, her mother refused to leave Englewood, where she owned a tidy house bordered by vacant lots. "That was her preference," says Jennifer's aunt Dorothy. "She could have moved anywhere." Jennifer's slain brother Jason lived at home, and although he'd had a few scrapes with the law, "he had a heart of platinum," says Israel. "In this block, all we've got is each other."
Jennifer herself moved out only recently and didn't go far: After Dreamgirls, "I was giving her advice, and I said, 'When you start making some money, buy you some real estate in L.A.!'" recalls Lyons. "And she was just like, 'I'm happy in Chicago.'" In February 2007 she bought a duplex in the tony River North area for $537,000. In September she and David Otunga, who is also from Chicago, announced their engagement.
Beyond keeping Chicago as her home base, Jennifer found other ways to stay close with her family. On the Dreamgirls set, "Julian came several times," recalls executive producer Patty Whitcher. "I just remember how happy he was to be with Jennifer and how proud she was of him." During her Idol tour in 2004, "it was always Jennifer, her mom, her sister and Julian," says her friend, fellow Season 3 contestant LaToya London. "Four peas in a pod."
Now that bond—Jennifer's lifeline—has been tragically broken. But those who know her best say the woman who has raised herself up against all odds before will do so again. "I'm sure it's not going to be tomorrow, but definitely in her time she will pull through this," says London. "Because Jennifer is just a strong person. She's a fighter."
Contributors:Lynette Holloway/Chicago, Hilary Shenfeld/Chicago, Jeff Truesdell/Chicago, Nina Burleigh/New York City, Rennie Dyball/New York City, Tiffany McGee/New York City, Cynthia Wang/Los Angeles.
MORE FROM THIS ARTICLE
Streets Under Siege
The victims' Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, home to some 47,000 people, has long been wracked by drugs and crime. In 2005 its 37 murders were the most in any of Chicago's 25 police districts. "You hear gunshots every day around here—morning, noon and night," says longtime resident Bobby Israel. "You just hope they're not heading at you." Still, others say Englewood has deep, generational roots and a defiant sense of place. "I'm still proud of the community," says John Jones, 33, who has lived there all his life. "There's still hope. It's still home."
She Escaped Mean Streets and Found Fame. Now the Oscar Winner Copes with the Murders of Her Loved Ones
PEOPLE Magazine
November 10, 2008 Vol. 70 No. 19
She was in the middle of a double publicity blitz for her self-titled debut album and her new movie The Secret Life of Bees, but last month, when Jennifer Hudson learned her mother, Darnell Donerson, was ailing, she put everything on hold. Right before the movie opened, "we got word that Jennifer's mom was sick," says Bees producer Joe Pichirallo. "She said she couldn't do any more publicity because she needed to be with her mom."
Her decision hardly surprised those in the actress-singer's close inner circle. Jennifer's family—especially Darnell, brother Jason and sister Julia—"were all very tight," says Richard Lyons, who was Jennifer's acting coach for her Oscar-winning 2006 film debut, Dreamgirls. "From what she told me, they did everything together. And of course when she started moving on in her career, they were all behind her. Her mom was her rock."
Now Jennifer's world has been shaken to the core—her beloved family foundation obliterated in an astonishingly brutal rampage. The nightmare began on Oct. 24, when Darnell, 57, and Jason, 29, were found fatally shot in the house where Jennifer grew up in the crime-ridden Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side; after those killings, Julia's 7-year-old son, Julian, was missing from the home. A hysterical Julia, 31, immediately called Jennifer, 27, who had been in Florida with her fiancé, David Otunga. "Despite her being who she is, she is still my sister," Julia, a school bus driver, said at a press conference on Oct. 25. "She was screaming. She flew in right away."
For three days Jennifer prayed with her sister, offering a $100,000 reward for Julian's safe return. But on Oct. 27 their worst fears were realized: Julian's body was discovered in Jason's white Suburban SUV, which had been abandoned miles from the family home. The boy had been shot in the head, but police believe his murder took place after the killings in Donerson's house. "I just want to pray for her as much as I can, because when you feel like your rock is gone, then you feel alone in the world," says Lyons. "I don't know how anyone can get through something like that."
Who committed the killings—and why—is the subject of an ongoing investigation. Within hours of the discovery of the bodies at Donerson's home, police arrested Julia's estranged husband, William "Flex" Balfour, 27, for violating parole for a sentence of attempted murder and carjacking in 1999. (He served nearly seven years in prison.) At press time authorities would only say that Balfour, who was Julian's stepfather, was a "person of interest" in the crimes.
For surviving members of the Hudson family, the focus was not justice, but grappling with unimaginable grief. When the time came to identify Julian's body at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, it was Jennifer—arriving with a few other family members—who stepped forward to handle the task. "She was incredibly strong for her family," says spokesman Sean Howard. "She was the leader." Jennifer positively identified Julian—a child whom Jennifer's aunt Dorothy describes as "such a fine person, very bright." Howard recalls that "everyone in the room was crying. But they're a strong family. They held hands."
The murders stunned Jennifer's friends in Chicago as well as her Hollywood peers. "My heart and soul goes out to her," says American Idol judge Randy Jackson, who has known Jennifer since her Idol breakthrough in 2004. "The world is an ugly place right now." Jennifer also received condolences from Sen. Barack Obama, who had personally requested that she sing the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August. "Michelle and I were absolutely heartbroken," he said in a statement.
Despite Balfour's arrest, Chicago police cautioned that many questions remain. "We don't know what the motive really was," Chicago police superintendent Jody Weis said at an Oct. 27 press conference. "But clearly you have people who do know each other, so it wasn't a case of a stranger-type homicide." Valerie Griffin, a neighbor, says Balfour—who had been thrown out of the Donerson home last winter—would say threatening things after domestic fights. "He used to say, 'I'm going to kill Julia and the whole family,'" says Griffin. "But I think he just said it out of anger. In my heart, I don't believe he would do it because of the love he has for Julia." Balfour's mom, Michele, defended her son, saying, "They have the wrong person."
It is the type of senseless violence Jennifer seemed destined to escape when she left Englewood to become one of Hollywood's hottest young stars. The youngest of three children of Darnell and Samuel Samson, a bus driver who died when she was a teen, Jennifer revealed her talent early on. "My mom tells this story of when I was a baby in church," she told Australia's Sunday Telegraph Magazine in September. "They were teaching the choir a note, and they couldn't hit it. I was just 8 months old, but I hit the note."
She found jobs at Burger King and performed on a Disney cruise ship until she tried out for American Idol in 2003. Despite her impressive pipes, she was prematurely ousted by viewers and lambasted by judge Simon Cowell for the way she dressed. And yet the plucky Chicagoan got a happily-ever-after: She attended an open casting call for the film version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls and beat out 800 other hopefuls for the role of Effie. Once again she credited her mother for helping her realize her dreams. "Anything she tells me I can do, I end up doing," she told Sister 2 Sister's November issue.
It was only fitting, then, that Jennifer was accompanied by her mom for her crowning night in Hollywood: the 2007 Oscars, where the first-time actress—who by now had elevated her fashion game from off-the-rack to couture—scored a Best Supporting Actress trophy for Dreamgirls. It was one of the very few times Darnell allowed herself to share her daughter's spotlight. "Jennifer was always telling me, 'Oh, I always gotta force my mom to come [to events],'" says Lyons. "Her mom was so proud of her but so humble." Her success also brought great pride to her community. "If she made it, we all made it," says local activist Bobby Israel. "Not too much comes up out of here—nothing positive. She was still just Jennifer to us."
Despite Jennifer's pleas, her mother refused to leave Englewood, where she owned a tidy house bordered by vacant lots. "That was her preference," says Jennifer's aunt Dorothy. "She could have moved anywhere." Jennifer's slain brother Jason lived at home, and although he'd had a few scrapes with the law, "he had a heart of platinum," says Israel. "In this block, all we've got is each other."
Jennifer herself moved out only recently and didn't go far: After Dreamgirls, "I was giving her advice, and I said, 'When you start making some money, buy you some real estate in L.A.!'" recalls Lyons. "And she was just like, 'I'm happy in Chicago.'" In February 2007 she bought a duplex in the tony River North area for $537,000. In September she and David Otunga, who is also from Chicago, announced their engagement.
Beyond keeping Chicago as her home base, Jennifer found other ways to stay close with her family. On the Dreamgirls set, "Julian came several times," recalls executive producer Patty Whitcher. "I just remember how happy he was to be with Jennifer and how proud she was of him." During her Idol tour in 2004, "it was always Jennifer, her mom, her sister and Julian," says her friend, fellow Season 3 contestant LaToya London. "Four peas in a pod."
Now that bond—Jennifer's lifeline—has been tragically broken. But those who know her best say the woman who has raised herself up against all odds before will do so again. "I'm sure it's not going to be tomorrow, but definitely in her time she will pull through this," says London. "Because Jennifer is just a strong person. She's a fighter."
Contributors:Lynette Holloway/Chicago, Hilary Shenfeld/Chicago, Jeff Truesdell/Chicago, Nina Burleigh/New York City, Rennie Dyball/New York City, Tiffany McGee/New York City, Cynthia Wang/Los Angeles.
MORE FROM THIS ARTICLE
Streets Under Siege
The victims' Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, home to some 47,000 people, has long been wracked by drugs and crime. In 2005 its 37 murders were the most in any of Chicago's 25 police districts. "You hear gunshots every day around here—morning, noon and night," says longtime resident Bobby Israel. "You just hope they're not heading at you." Still, others say Englewood has deep, generational roots and a defiant sense of place. "I'm still proud of the community," says John Jones, 33, who has lived there all his life. "There's still hope. It's still home."
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
First Lady Looks: Michelle Obama's Wardrobe
First Lady Looks: Michelle Obama’s wardrobe
Tuesday, 10/21/2008
By Lynette Holloway
Shopperati.com/Style Insider.com
When it came time for Vanity Fair Magazine to pick the world’s “best dressed,” Michelle Obama made the list (one of the pictures, left). They called her “the commander in sheath.’’ Sometimes likened to Jackie O. by fashion observers for her simple, elegant clothing choices, Obama’s wardrobe has been front and center for many months.
A distinguishing characteristic of the potential first lady’s style: She doesn’t mind showing off her curvaceous figure. She is not a size 0, and she flaunts it with panache.
She likes prints by designers such as Thakoon, or bold colored sheaths by Maria Pinto. She favors slim dresses in brilliant primary colors of blue, red, and green that fall to the knee. Fabric choices are cotton, silk, satin and knits. More often than not, Obama’s dresses are accented with a bow, flower or a brooch. Some examples from the past few weeks:
When her husband claimed the Democratic presidential nomination, Michelle Obama wore a Maria Pinto purple sheath (top, left). The dress, cinched with a black Azzedine Alaïa belt, was one of the reasons listed for her inclusion in Vanity Fair’s list this summer.
She wore another brilliant turquoise Maria Pinto sheath (top, right) while giving the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and that choice got some glowing fashion reviews. She dressed it up with a big starburst brooch at the V-neck.
On the final night of the convention, when husband Barack delivered his acceptance speech, she sported a Thakoon Panichgul (above, left) printed bubble-sleeve sheath accented with three glistening crystal flowers at the neckline.
Michelle Obama doesn’t shy away from prints. When she appeared on The View, she sported a black-and-white spaghetti-strap Donna Ricco print dress (above, right) from White House | Black Market that fell to the knee. Simple but bold, the dress became a summer hit for women wanting to look cool without showing too much skin.
Still, Obama has a formula and she sticks with it. Last week, for example, she wore a form-fitting blue knit dress (above, left) accessorized with a Hawaiian-style beaded necklace bedecked with three decorative pink and blue flowers at the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. She also regularly sports “gobstopper” sized fake pearls and similarly sized green baubles, or no necklace at all.
On Larry King Live, she wore an iconic satiny purple sheath dress (above, right) adorned with a jeweled purple feather brooch (which may have raised some fashionista eyebrows). In a CBS News appearance (above, left), her look was a bit preppy: pale blueish-gray sweater set, smoky gray slacks. But that periwinkle floral pin with a silver sparkly center gave it a bit of flash.
On another occasion she opted for a wool black and white houndstooth Chanel-style dress (above right), a simple, a little Jackie O, but keeping the “you can never go wrong with black and white” style mantra in mind.
Obama’s not afraid to “keep it real.” She’s been seen sporting a blue “Support our Troops” T-shirt and black capri pants while assembling care packages for troops overseas in August.
Wardrobe summary? Michelle Obama opts for simple, clean, elegant outfits - primarily dresses - that hug the knee and flatter her figure. She is not afraid of bright colors or unsubtle prints, and if her sheath is too simple, she’ll up the ante with artfully placed jewelry. Just as often, though, she’s been spotted dressing up her dress with nothing but small pearl studs or a single strand necklace.
Topics: Maria Pinto, Michelle Obama, Political Style, Thakoon, Vanity Fair
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Tuesday, 10/21/2008
By Lynette Holloway
Shopperati.com/Style Insider.com
When it came time for Vanity Fair Magazine to pick the world’s “best dressed,” Michelle Obama made the list (one of the pictures, left). They called her “the commander in sheath.’’ Sometimes likened to Jackie O. by fashion observers for her simple, elegant clothing choices, Obama’s wardrobe has been front and center for many months.
A distinguishing characteristic of the potential first lady’s style: She doesn’t mind showing off her curvaceous figure. She is not a size 0, and she flaunts it with panache.
She likes prints by designers such as Thakoon, or bold colored sheaths by Maria Pinto. She favors slim dresses in brilliant primary colors of blue, red, and green that fall to the knee. Fabric choices are cotton, silk, satin and knits. More often than not, Obama’s dresses are accented with a bow, flower or a brooch. Some examples from the past few weeks:
When her husband claimed the Democratic presidential nomination, Michelle Obama wore a Maria Pinto purple sheath (top, left). The dress, cinched with a black Azzedine Alaïa belt, was one of the reasons listed for her inclusion in Vanity Fair’s list this summer.
She wore another brilliant turquoise Maria Pinto sheath (top, right) while giving the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and that choice got some glowing fashion reviews. She dressed it up with a big starburst brooch at the V-neck.
On the final night of the convention, when husband Barack delivered his acceptance speech, she sported a Thakoon Panichgul (above, left) printed bubble-sleeve sheath accented with three glistening crystal flowers at the neckline.
Michelle Obama doesn’t shy away from prints. When she appeared on The View, she sported a black-and-white spaghetti-strap Donna Ricco print dress (above, right) from White House | Black Market that fell to the knee. Simple but bold, the dress became a summer hit for women wanting to look cool without showing too much skin.
Still, Obama has a formula and she sticks with it. Last week, for example, she wore a form-fitting blue knit dress (above, left) accessorized with a Hawaiian-style beaded necklace bedecked with three decorative pink and blue flowers at the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. She also regularly sports “gobstopper” sized fake pearls and similarly sized green baubles, or no necklace at all.
On Larry King Live, she wore an iconic satiny purple sheath dress (above, right) adorned with a jeweled purple feather brooch (which may have raised some fashionista eyebrows). In a CBS News appearance (above, left), her look was a bit preppy: pale blueish-gray sweater set, smoky gray slacks. But that periwinkle floral pin with a silver sparkly center gave it a bit of flash.
On another occasion she opted for a wool black and white houndstooth Chanel-style dress (above right), a simple, a little Jackie O, but keeping the “you can never go wrong with black and white” style mantra in mind.
Obama’s not afraid to “keep it real.” She’s been seen sporting a blue “Support our Troops” T-shirt and black capri pants while assembling care packages for troops overseas in August.
Wardrobe summary? Michelle Obama opts for simple, clean, elegant outfits - primarily dresses - that hug the knee and flatter her figure. She is not afraid of bright colors or unsubtle prints, and if her sheath is too simple, she’ll up the ante with artfully placed jewelry. Just as often, though, she’s been spotted dressing up her dress with nothing but small pearl studs or a single strand necklace.
Topics: Maria Pinto, Michelle Obama, Political Style, Thakoon, Vanity Fair
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