Photo from msnbc.msn.com

I heard the rumors about Michelle Obama appearing on the cover of Vogue magazine, but I didn’t pay much attention to them.   As stated in my previous post, I haven’t really read an entire issue of American Vogue magazine  in ages, and I’ve found other alternatives and I’ve gotten fashion fixes in places such as  Style.com, various forums and blogs.

However, I was pleasantly surprised at michelle Obama’s cover for this March.  I didn’t think Jennifer Hudson’s Vogue cover was done well at all, and she was the last woman of color to grace the cover of the magazine in March 2007.  The magenta Jason Wu (yes, the same designer of her Inagural gown) dress compliments her skin tone nicely and her expression is soft and she looks relaxed.

Needless to say, I will be picking up this issue as I’m excited to see what’s in store.   Not saying that I’m going back with Vogue all the way, but we might be able to take baby steps.  Small baby steps.

This Belfast born jewelry maker has been on my radar for awhile now. Many of his pieces have a uniqueness to them, yet I can always tell when a jewelry piece is by Tom Binns if I spot it in an editorial or on a celebrity.

When Michelle Obama rocked a Tom Binns necklace earlier this year with an Isabel Toledo design, I thought it was a great combination. His designs have an edge to them but at the same time, there is an undeniable elegance. However, some of his designs are not for the girl who doesn’t like to stand out. He can pile on to his designs until only he feels that it is enough. And diamonds are not necessarily his best friend. In a Chicago Tribune article, Binns is quoted as saying, “”I’m sort of undermining the previous notion of what’s fashion and what’s jewelry,” he says. ” ‘A few old pieces of discarded junk and tie it around your neck.’ It’s a very simple equation.”

His pricing can range from about from the about $250 on the low-end to $20,000-30,000 on the high-end, but a typical costume jewelry piece is about $650-$1,200, depending on the materials that he uses.

And since I am living a frugal chic lifestyle these days, but I still covet one of his beautiful designs, I was looking at these simple, but classic earrings on Shopbop (shown below). They were originally $264.00, but marked down to $184.80.

WWD posted designer sketches that were submitted if they were to design for the future First Lady’s innagural activities. For the most part, I liked many of them. Mrs. Obama has been hailed as a fashion breakout star during the campaign citing Chicago-based designer Maria Pinto as her early favorite.   And I personally loved her Thakoon floral print dress that she wore to the Democratic National Convention pictured above.

The opportunity to dress Mrs. O for the Inaugural activities and beyond would be exposure great for any designer.   Jacqueline Kennedy’s chose Oleg Cassini and current First Lady, Laura Bush, has favored Oscar De La Renta during her time in the White House.   However, with the exception of Maria Pinto and possibly Narcisco Rodriguez (who, by the way, I am surprised that we didn’t see a sketch from), I feel Mrs. Obama will switch it up a bit more and her fashion choices will make for an exciting and interesting four years.

Here the sketches that I think will be the most interesting if they were brought to life:

I think the red would really pop on Mrs. Obama.  Plus, I love the one-shoulder aspect.

I’m a professed Rodarte fan for the most part, so I’m always intrigued by the Mulleavy sisters.  I think the delicate design might work for Michelle and the Obama daughters.

This is pretty simple, but Winter White from Peter Som could be pretty nice.

And I know Oscar De La Renta has been in the fashion game for the White House First Lady’s for awhile now, so it’d be nice for a change, but I think the floral print would be nice.   This design would be a pretty safe and conservative choice.

And I’m not a Michael Kors fan generally, but I think the blue would be a nice color and the dress would work with her tall and slender figure.