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January 21st, 2009 at 8:50 am

Michelle Obama Dress Inaugural Ball Photos, Video: Jason Wu Inaugural Gown

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama attend Inaugural Balls on January 20, 2009

First Lady Michelle Obama wore a beautiful white Inaugural ball gown designed by Jason Wu. See photos and video of the First couple attending ten Inauguration balls, including the Youth Ball, the Neighborhood Ball, the Commander in Chief Ball and the Home States Ball and a report on the First Lady’s Inauguration Day fashion choices.

[The Jason Wu] custom-made gown, in flowing ivory silk chiffon with a single strap, was embroidered with silver thread and adorned with Swarovski crystal rhinestones. This is the barest gown that a first lady has worn at an inauguration since Nancy Reagan wore a James Galanos gown to usher in Ronald Reagan’s first term. Wu’s dress bares Obama’s arms and shoulders and brings the first lady into the modern era, in which glamour is defined by Hollywood and the red carpet rather than protocol and tradition.

Source: All Hail the Leader of the Fashionable World [Continue reading for more discussion of Michelle Obama as a style icon]

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama attend Inaugural Balls on January 20, 2009

Jason Wu is a 26 year old designer who was born in Tapei,Taiwan and has lived in Paris, Tokyo and Vancouver. He began sewing when he was nine years old, designing clothes, drafting patterns and sewing clothes using dolls as mannequins. He attended Parsons: The New School for Design where he interned with Narciso Rodriguez. He debuted his first full collection in 2006 and in 2008 he received the Fashion Group International Rising Star award in 2008. He has designed clothes for celebrities who include Kerry Washington, Joy Bryant, and Leighton Meister. Find out more about him, and see photos and videos on his Web site: JasonWuStudio.com

He now joins the ranks of designers whom the First Lady has brought to prominence; Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo who designed Michelle Obama’s Inauguration day dress and coat ensemble, and Chicago designer Maria Pinto who has been a longtime favorite and responsible for some of the dresses Michelle Obama wore during the campaign.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama attend Inaugural Balls on January 20, 2009

The gown has generally received rave reviews from fashionistas. You can see a roundup of reviews of the Obama Inauguration ball gown (and the Inauguration dress by Isabelle Toledo) here: Countdown to the gown: Live blogging Michelle Obama’s inaugural style: The gown is by Jason Wu!

Cathy Horyn of the New York Times also has some commentary on all of the Michelle Obama Inauguration dresses (as well as those of Sashia Obama and Malia Obama): The First Lady Tells a Story With Fashion

As is traditional, the Inaugural dress will be donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Here is a slideshow of photos of previous first ladies’ Inaugural Ball Gowns.

Here is a Today Show video report of the Michelle Obama Inaugural ball gown and the Isabel Toledo Inaugural dress.