MM Has a Request for Oscar de la Renta: Hush!

Wouldn't it be great if fashion legend Oscar de la Renta stopped talking smack about First Lady Michelle Obama? In a ridiculous NY Times story Cathy Horyn talked about designers feeling insulted by being denied access to the White House by Mrs. Obama's style advisor Ikram Goldman. The piece mentioned that de la Renta has dressed many first ladies in the past. Yes he did and he's a great designer. But de la Renta was the designer of choice of Cindy McCain, and if Cindy's husband Senator John McCain had won the election we're sure she would have been wearing tons of de la Renta. Oscar is VERY associated with Republican First Ladies. The Times piece also mentioned Arnold Scaasi who hasn't been a name on the world's radar for decades.

Now de la Renta has criticized Mrs. Obama's choice of wearing a cardigan to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. (An Alaia cardigan over an outfit by Isabel Toledo, two of Mrs. Obama's preferred designers). Really Oscar? It's beneath de la Renta's dignity as an elder statesman of American Fashion to consistently complain and criticize a First Lady who has done so much for American fashion. Overnight, Jason Wu and Thakoon went from being young designers to world famous designers. Isabel Toledo, one of America's most under-appreciated fashion talents, has gone from cult-figure to household name. Mrs. Obama has worn Tracy Reese on the cover of People Magazine, Michael Kors in her official White House portrait, and has given J. Crew the biggest moment in the spotlight its ever had. All this is great for American fashion.

Never in Mr. Mickey's life has a First Lady been such a fashion icon (with the possible exception of Nancy Reagan, and that was often treated as a negative). She's been First Lady for a few months and her fashion has been in the world headlines constantly. She should be given time to showcase more designers. Mrs. Obama should be celebrated for her fashion choices not criticized for "ignoring" the more established designers. The Obamas even being in the White House is revolutionary and to criticize her for having a new approach makes the designers doing the complaining seem like disgruntled relics from the past. That's not what Oscar de la Renta is -- so he should stop acting like it.