US First Lady’s inaugural ball gown by Jason Wu earns plaudits

It took a U.S. First lady to earn his ticket to fame.

This holds true for Jason Wu, an emerging American fashion designer whose creation was chosen by U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama to wear in her husband’s inaugural ball. When Michelle Obama donned the inaugural ball gown he created: an elaborate single-piece floor-length white chiffon, one-shoulder gown covered in fluffy appliques and beading, it earned the nods of many --- so much so that his name was splashed on leading newspapers and became instant fodder to the fashion blogosphere the next day!


(Photo courtesy of Jared Leto from justjared.buzznet.com)

Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor of Harper’s Bazaar, said of Wu’s creation: "For evening Michelle Obama veered from her love of strong colors to don an off-white shade with an ultra-feminine goddess silhouette. The one shoulder look of the season gave a traditional gown a totally on-trend feel. (We saw plenty of this particular detail most recently on the red carpet at Golden Globes.) Her accessories were simple and totally current—drop earrings and bangles. Just right!"





U.S. President-elect Barack Obama must have been so smitten by the looks of his wife that night that when he entered the Neighborhood Ball at Washington’s Convention Center, he proudly asked: “First of all, how good-looking is my wife?” drawing loud cheers from the revelers.

No matter how the U.S. First Lady loves the dress, unfortunately, she can’t keep it because tradition dictates it should be donated to Washington’s Smithsonian Museum’s long-running collection of First Ladies’ fashion items and memorabilia.

What do you think of the U.S. First Lady's gown? Here are more pics:











But who is Jason Wu?



Jason Wu is a 26-year-old Taiwan-born Manhattan-based fashion designer who studied in the prestigious Parsons The New School for Design, notable fashion alumni of which include Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Narciso Rodriguez, and Anna Sui among others. A recipient of Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award in 2008, he started his craft by creating couture clothes for toy dolls and has since made name for himself in dressing human dolls in the likes of Ivanka Trump, Lisa Cant, and Amber Valletta.