Barack and Michelle Obama unveiled their official portraits, painted by reowned African-American artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald respectively, at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery this morning.
While Barack's painting stars the former president amidst a colorful wall of foliage, Michelle's is simpler, featuring the former first lady in a geometric printed dress, sitting in repose against a blue-gray backdrop.
That dress is by the American brand Milly, helmed by designer Michelle Smith. The look is from the the label's Spring 2017 collection, which hit the runway at New York Fashion Week in September 2016. Obama's free-flowing halter gown is playful and modern, covered in circles, stripes, and triangles in black and gray with touches of pink and yellow in the skirt.
The former FLOTUS has long been a fan of the brand. She wore a striped bell sleeve blouse by the designer, paired with black trousers and pumps, for one of her final walks through the White House in 2017:
She also sported a pair of wide-leg pants by the brand (with a perfectly edgy cut-out top) during a 2016 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert:
And she wore a white blazer from the label in 2014 while promoting her Drink Up initiative, which encouraged citizens to drink more water:
Milly is a fitting choice for Obama's portrait wardrobe, not only because it matches her fresh yet approachable style, but also because the designer is similarly passionate about women's rights and female empowerment.
Smith has been a Planned Parenthood supporter for years and even designed a T-shirt to benefit the organization last fall. Her Fall 2017 collection, presented in the wake of the 2016 election, was about rising up from a dark, "fractured" place. Even her Fall 2018 collection, which debuted last week, was inspired by "love, inclusiveness and the desire for equality."
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
