THE FIRST LADY OF FASHION

She wore a rose gold chain-mail gown by Versace to her final White House state dinner (above left). If you were to psychoanalyse that one dress, you could say that: a) she has become as fearless and statement-making in her wardrobe choices as she has been in affecting political change for girls and women; b) that EVERY one of her outfits sends a pointed message – in this case, supporting Donatella Versace, whose catwalk shows are the fashion equivalent of a feminist rally; and c) that, superficially speaking, there is nothing this First Lady, with her good looks and arm definition, can’t pull off.

She is always correct; deeply politically correct. Like no other FLOTUS before her, she has unerringly harnessed fashion as a political/promotional tool. She has advertised young US designers from the outset – from that pure white (this is a scorchingly new beginning, the likes of which you’ve never seen, folks!) 2009 inauguration ball gown by the then 26-year-old son of immigrants Jason Wu, to putting newcomers Brandon Maxwell, Bibhu Mohapatra and Naeem Khan on the map. Her fashion choices, according to New York University business professor David Yermack’s calculations, have been worth $2.7 billion to the US retail sector – with companies seeing a ‘2.3% stock gain when she dons their products – five times that of a typical celebrity endorsement’.

And, boy, has she spread the love for all designers everywhere – from Gucci and Givenchy to accessibly priced J Crew and British designers such as Mary Katrantzou and Roksanda Ilincic. She is the First Lady fashion archetype of our times, a paradigm of all that is good, decent and right with the world. Sadly, not to be replaced in a hurry.