Fashionistas give First Lady a dressing down

Published on Saturday 14 February 2009 18:43

BEHIND every successful woman is… a wardrobe manager. No First Lady since Jacqueline Kennedy has had a more instantaneous impact on fashion than Michelle Obama.

The front cover of March Vogue, where Obama appears in a fuchsia dress by Jason Wu, the young talent she helped turn into an overnight star, trumpets: "The First Lady the world's been waiting for." Whatever Obama wears, people notice and often buy.

Despite ever-closer scrutiny of her style, what is not known is that her wardrobe is being managed largely by a boutique owner in Chicago. Ikram Goldman, whose store is called Ikram, has played an unprecedented role since the election, serving as gatekeeper between fashion industry and first lady.

All details of Obama's inaugural wardrobe were overseen by Goldman, who kept designers in the dark about whether their outfit would be chosen.

According to the designers involved, none had the direct contact with the First Lady which has happened in the past. They worked from measurements and other information provided by Goldman and delivered the finished garments to Chicago or Washington. "It was all very blind," said Maria Cornejo, who made eight jewel-tone suits, two winter coats and three dresses for Obama, who wore a purple jacket on the inaugural weekend train ride.

Designers are now reluctant to discuss their dealings with Goldman, in case they say something that might cause them to lose business. Goldman, who with her husband donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign, has remained virtually invisible and has not made herself available for interviews. Obama's press secretary, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, describes the first lady's relationship with Goldman as that of a loyal client. "Mrs Obama has shopped at Ikram's store for years and appreciates her shared interest in working with a broad spectrum of designers, including many young, up-and-coming designers."

But some designers question whether Obama should have such a close relationship with Goldman, particularly when she sells clothes worn by the First Lady – and showcased for millions of potential customers – in her own store.

Arnold Scassi has dressed first ladies since Mamie Eisenhower, and provided a blue velvet and silk inaugural gown for Barbara Bush. He said: "It is strange to think that the wife of the leader of the free world would choose clothes from only one store, when there is a wealth of clothes out there from other designers."

Scassi is critical of Wu's design for Obama, because of its loose fit. "I don't think the inaugural gown was flattering in any way," he said. "She could have looked much better."

Ultimately, four designers, including Narciso Rodriguez, had clothes chosen for different inaugural events. Each brand is also sold at Ikram, in the Gold Coast neighbourhood of Chicago. Many other prominent American designers, including Michael Kors, Ralph Rucci, Vera Wang and Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein, were never approached, they said.

To the older generation of design stars, the idea that a first lady would rely so heavily on a retailer – rather than on designers or an independent stylist, people who make their living solving problems of fit and proportion – is surprising.

Obama's predecessors typically went directly to Seventh Avenue for their clothes, bypassing stores, editors, stylists and others who might have an agenda of their own. Many designers too though, have benefited from their trade with a first lady – few more so than Oleg Cassini, who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy and exploited that connection for years after.

Goldman, who is 41 and who gave birth in December to twins, is considered a retail dynamo. It's not uncommon for her to ask designers to make special pieces for customers, and many designers appreciate her taste, which combines vintage with more novel fashion. Her store, in both its Asiatic trappings and selection of high-end European, Japanese and American labels, is a good example of the curatorial shopping experience that fashion-conscious women like when hunting down $2,000 handbags and $6,000 crystal-studded coats. According to campaign finance records, she and her husband, Josh Goldman, a lawyer, gave at least $6,900 to the Obama campaign.

Opinion is divided about whether Obama's shopping approach represents a positive departure from the past or raises concern about concentrating her business with one place. To Toledo, who made Obama's inaugural day clothes and has been asked to make new clothes for her, this approach has never been fairer. "It's opened the door for many who might not have been looked at," she said.

The benefits of the Goldman connection have become obvious. Wu said he had tripled sales appointments for his autumn collection, which he will present this month, and that stores like Neiman Marcus have given his designs window display next to global brands like Dior. The influence of the first lady is spreading.