Michelle Obama has looked fabulous throughout the presidential campaign, drawing comparisons to the iconic style of First Lady Jackie Kennedy and the Camelot era.   Now Michelle Obama’s stature as a fashion icon and a trend setter in her own right has reached a new high. Her recent appearance as the guest co-host of ABC’s “The View” on June 18, 2008, in which she wore a White House Black Market dress has caused a sellout of the dress, the “Tank Leaf Print Dress” which we now know as the Michelle Obama Dress.

The Michelle Obama dress was also the subject of a report on the Today Show this morning, June 20, 2008 and Meredith Vieira interviewed  Donna Ricco, the designer of the dress.

“I’m very happy. I’m very surprised. I had no idea she would be wearing this dress,” Ricco told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira Friday in New York. “But it’s sort of a natural happening for me, because I’ve been designing dresses a long time. We ship a lot of dresses to the stores, and I’m happy that Michelle chose this dress to wear on ‘The View.’ ”

“It must be rewarding for you,” Vieira told Ricco, who wore a satiny black dress — presumably of her own design — with a scoop neckline and rolled collar.

“It is,” the designer agreed. “I put a lot of time and effort into making these dresses fit a lot of American woman. I think to be able to go into the store, for Michelle to find the dress, try it on, love it, and to be able to just wear it, speaks to what I’m doing every day.”

Source: Michelle Obama makes $148 frock a fashion smash

So, where can you snag that dress? The black-and-white leaf print dress is available at a store fittingly called White House/Black Market and costs $148. They operate 322 boutiques and 19 outlets nationwide, but don’t even dare try walking into a store to get one.

The now infamous dress has been flying off the racks ever since Michelle’s TV appearance. Your best bet is to trying buying it online (check eBay too) while supplies last: www.whitehouseblackmarket.com or Click here to get the dress!

Designer Donna Ricco, who has a showroom at 530 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, originally created the dress and is selling it on her Web site for only $99, but it’s currently sold out. She’s working like crazy to get 3,000 more of the “Obama dresses” made by September, according to reports.

Source: Get Michelle Obama’s dress as seen on “The View”

Photo credit: ABC News
Top Photo Michelle Obama with “The View” cohosts: (L-R) Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Joy Behr, Michelle Obama, Barbara Walters, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck

See also:

• Michelle Obama: Fashion’s New Darling?

To watch the entire June 18, 2008 “The View” program with Michelle Obama as guest-co-host:

• Video: Michelle Obama on “The View” 6-18-08

Video & Photos: Michelle Obama Dress, White House Black Market Dress Sets New Trend

Rihanna lit up the town, literally.  She had the honor of lighting the Empire State Building on the third annual Cartier Declare Your Love Day, Thursday June 19, 2008 in New York City.

For those tourists who could stand the hot, crowded, seemingly endless line to the Empire State Building’s Observation Deck on Thursday afternoon, there was a treat beyond the legendary view. At the top was singer Rihanna, bedecked in a Cartier tiara and a short printed dress.

There to help Cartier North America president and chief executive officer Frédéric de Narp switch on the building’s lights to red in honor of Love Day, Rihanna (who is said to be dating Chris Brown) said that while she is “not in love” at the moment, she is in love with the tiara she loaned from the company for the event.

“My tiara is a little street,” she said of the pricey gemstone studded headpiece which was worn to the side. “Well, the tiara isn’t really street…I moved it to the side so it’s a little rock n’ roll.” De Narp and his team few in from Los Angeles late Wednesday night, where the company threw its third annual love event, which was attended by the likes of Janet Jackson and Fergie.

Source: WWD - View From the Top

Related posts:

• Photos: Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Launch 6-18-08 
• Video & Photos: Rihanna on BET 106 & Park 6-18-08
• Video & Photos: Rihanna Performs at MuchMusic Video Awards 6-15-08
• Video & Photos: Rihanna on MTV TRL 6-17-08 “Take a Bow”
• Rihanna - “Take a Bow” (Music Video)

Photos: Rihanna at Cartier Love Day Empire State Building Lighting 6-19-08

The third annual Cartier Declare Your Love Day and Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Launch took place at private residence in Los Angeles, California on June 18, 2008. Among the attendees: Ashanti, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri, Kimora Lee Simmons, Eve, Common, Fergie, Nicole Ritchie and Rosario Dawson.

Cartier announced the launch of their new LOVE CHARITY bracelet On Cartier’s third annual Loveday, June 19th, 2008. Artists such as Janet Jackson, Fergie, Good Charlotte, Eve, Common, Hilary Duf, Emmy Rossum and Ashanti were named as New Bracelet Ambassadors.

These artists will each represent a charity and corresponding bracelet for the initiative. In addition, they have contributed their favorite love song to the Cartier Love Charity Playlist which will be available for free download at http://www.love.cartier.com starting June 19th.

In addition, $200 from the sale of each Lovecharity bracelet will go to the corresponding charity of their choice.

Source: Cartier Gets the Stars All Under One Roof

Above photo: Ashanti

Photo credit: WireImage

Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri

Common

Eva Mendes

Eve

Fergie

Djimon Hounsou and Kimora Lee Simmons

Nicole Ritchie

Rosario Dawson

Photos: Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Launch 6-18-08