Why Michelle Obama Is Not the Next Jackie O | Newsweek Periscope

VIEWPOINT
Michelle Hits Her Stride
Allison Samuels 5/2/2009 12:00:00 AM
There have been plenty of un-veiling ceremonies for new statues at the U.S. Capitol. But when Michelle Obama peeled the cover off the bronze bust of abolitionist Sojourner Truth last week, the moment was heavy with symbolism. Truth is the first African-American woman to be honored with a statue in the Capitol. In a way no first lady before her ever could have done, Obama connected the dots between herself and the black feminist pioneer. "Now many young boys and girls like my own daughters will come to Emancipation Hall and see the face of a woman who looks like them," she told the gathering. "I hope that Sojourner Truth would be proud to see me, a descendant of slaves, serving as the first lady of the United States of America."
TOP SHELF
Watching the Models Go By
Sameer Reddy 4/11/2009 12:00:00 AM
I began with Brazil—São Paulo, to be exact. then Mumbai. then back to Brazil—Rio this time. Then Berlin. Belo Horizonte, Lisbon, Brasília, and on and on. It's been an interesting, and exhausting, 10-month itinerary, and I've spent most of it sitting around waiting for things to begin. I'm part of the mobile fashion press corps, a strange subset of the larger fashion-media machine. While most fashion writers and editors make biannual pilgrimages to New York, Milan andParis for the ready-to-wear shows, I exchanged those chic, if a bit staid, destinations a couple of years ago for a more unexpected roster. These days, I'm more interested in exploring emerging fashion markets. Seeing the world through a sartorial lens is exciting, and as instructional as any guided tour. The surrounding scene reveals distinct cultural truths about each destination, demonstrating how Fashion Weeks can serve as social statements, highlighting the aspects that make a particular locale unique.
SOCIETY
A (Designer) Dog’s Life
Suzanne Smalley 4/4/2009 12:00:00 AM
The White County sheriff's department noticed the stench from a mile up the road. By the time rescuers entered the series of sheds in Sparta, Tenn., some were forced to wear respirators. Inside each shed were scores of dogs in tiny cages, many covered in feces. The sheds reeked of urine and were so frigid the officers had to set up portable heaters to work inside. Authorities, who raided the farm in February after receiving tips from angry customers who'd purchased sick puppies, discovered 300 dogs on the three-acre property—many of them malnourished, mangy and infected by parasites. Some were housed a half dozen to a cage in near total darkness. Many of the pups were "designer dogs"—trendy new breeds like puggles (which result when a pug is bred with a beagle), Maltepoos (a Maltese-poodle mix) and Chipins (a Chihuahua-pinscher cross). "It's market driven," says Melinda Merck, a forensic veterinarian who assisted with the Tennessee raid. "People just see a designer breed and say, 'I've never heard of that dog but it sounds cute'." And for puppy mills like this one, designer dogs—many of which sell for more than $1,000 apiece—have become a huge business.
LUXURY
Glitz to Brighten the Mood
Alexandra A. Seno 3/28/2009 12:00:00 AM
Just in time to help beat back the global financial blues, style trendsetters are serving up some of the brightest ideas seen in years. At the recent New York Fashion Week, Marc Jacobs said, "What? Is all black going to help the economy?" His fall/winter 2009 clothes made their mark with sunshine yellows, hot pinks and bright greens. Even for a usually somber season, brands ranging from Christian Dior to Alexander McQueen offered visual (if not economic) stimulus with color and shimmer. "During these times, you need fashion with longevity, but you also need inspiration," says Fiona Marin, the designer behind the luxury accessories label Kotur, whose current collection includes clutches with crystal flowers and insects on metallic snakeskin.
FASHION WATCH
The New Black
Kiki Von Glinow 2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM
Wall Street may be losing faith in Barack, but the fashionistas are not so skeptical—Obamamania's all over the runways. At Milan's fashion week in February, designer Gattinoni showed off a kaftan gown with a head-to-toe portrait of the commander in chief (the slogan CHANGE ran along the hemline), while Italian Vogue showcased campaign T shirts paired with feather headpieces. New York fashion week also peddled the Obama magic: Jason Wu, who crafted Michelle Obama's inauguration dress, was one of the hottest tickets in town; the African Fashion Collective Show culminated with a white, body-hugging dress by Xuly Bet, who silk-screened a red, white and blue Obama portrait onto the sheer material. And whether or not it's a true supposition, fashion insiders credit the larger presence of models of color this year to the new first family. Hold onto your Manolos—there's a new tastemaker in town.
Fashion
Branded For Success
Dana Thomas
James Galanos has long been known as America's couturier. His relaxed yet elegant designs defined American fashion for more than half a century, and his customers have included Hollywood stars like Judy Garland and Rosalind Russell, American socialites such as Betsy Bloomingdale, and former American first lady Nancy Reagan, who wore his clothes with great panache. Last month Reagan presented the 83-year-old designer with the Rodeo Walk of Style award in Beverly Hills, California, remarking, "Jimmy deserved this a long time ago." His designs for her—including two White House Inaugural gowns—go on display this month in "Nancy Reagan: A First Lady's Style," a yearlong exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Museum in California. Galanos recently spoke with NEWSWEEK's Dana Thomas about the state of American fashion today. Excerpts: