OMG. This explains a lot.... That tent she is wearing is a Lanvin -- with black leg warmers! Lord, have mercy! The only good that can come of this is that maybe she will influence the Obamas to protect Israel.
If you’ve been wondering just who Ikram Goldman is and how she got to hold the position of Michelle Obama’s impromptu stylist, the New York Times sheds some light. Goldman, who owns “Ikram,” one of the First Lady’s favorite boutiques in Chicago, was the go-between between the raft of designers vying to dress Michelle Obama for the Inauguration.
According to the Times, “All details regarding the making of Mrs. Obama’s wardrobe for the inaugural were overseen by Ms. Goldman, who kept designers in the dark about whether their outfit would be chosen. ...They worked from measurements and other information provided by Ms. Goldman and delivered the finished garments to Chicago or Washington.” In many instances, bills for the dresses Michelle Obama ends up wearing are handled by Goldman too.
The Times piece seems to be kicking up dust about whether one person should hold that much power. Considering that Goldman owns a boutique and carries many of the young and independent designers Michelle Obama has placed a dizzying spotlight on, the piece questions whether her role as “gatekeeper” to the First Lady’s closet is a conflict of interest. It’s an interesting and valid question, but a little creepy too.
. “It is strange to think that the wife of the leader of the free world would choose clothes from only one store, when there is a wealth of clothes out there from other designers, including me,” designer Arnold Scaasi was quoted as saying.
“First and foremost, I wear what I love,” Obama told Andre Leon Talley in the cover story for Vogue’s March Issue — whether she’s mixing young indie labels with high-end designers, or shopping for the piece online, as she told Jay Leno she likes to do.
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Meet Ikram Goldman - the woman with the keys to Michelle Obama’s closet
The Israeli-born Goldman, whose Rush St. shop is a mecca for Chicago’s best-dressed set, stands poised to become one of the most powerful players in the fashion industry worldwide.
Goldman does not hold an official title, but insiders predict she will be the person who’ll advise the fashion-forward First Lady on what to wear over the next four years.
The gold Isabel Toldeo dress-and-coat ensemble Obama wore yesterday was “special-ordered through Ikram,” says Wendy Donahue, a fashion columnist at the Chicago Tribune. “That Obama trusted her guidance for the first day of her tenure as First Lady would lead me to believe that she will continue to shape Obama’s style, and thus the image that America has abroad, during the White House years.”
Goldman - who was also responsible for selecting the Isabel Toledo pants and tunic Michelle wore on the campaign trail and the $17,000 Loree Rodkin diamond earrings she donned at Monday’s “We are One” concert - is known for her eclectic, often edgy tastes.
“It is strange to think that the wife of the leader of the free world would choose clothes from only one store”
Correction : with Obama in the White House, the leaders of the Free World are now Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, and Bibi Netanyahu, PM of Israel.
Their wives are classy ladies who know how to dress properly for every occasion.
OMG. This explains a lot.... That tent she is wearing is a Lanvin -- with black leg warmers! Lord, have mercy! The only good that can come of this is that maybe she will influence the Obamas to protect Israel.