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| Naeem Khan beaded sheath worn to the first Obama Administration State Dinner |
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| Marie Antoinette |
My Michelle.
The Colored Man is not a historian, but I do like to read and watch educational programming on television, so with some bit of learning, I can relate to you the unfortunate story of Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, better known as Marie Antoinette. Marie was Austrian royalty, as her parents were the Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I. She married Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France
in 1770 in an arranged marriage designed to forge political connections between France and Austria. When she first arrived at Versailles Palace, she was relatively liked by court members, as well as by the French people. It wasn't until after about 7-8 years of marriage and no stork arrival, that the people began to turn on her. But Marie made the best of a bad situation.
Michelle, ma belle.
Sant des mots Qui Vont ensemble Tres bien, Tres Bien Ensemble.
Instead of laying in her bed all day eating petit-fours, and wishing that Madame du Barry, her father-in-law's mistress, would leave her alone, Dauphine Marie began to make her impact on French society. As queen, Marie was expected to outshine others in her dress, hair, jewels, household, soirees. But she took it to a whole 'nutha level. Where shall I start? - three-day gambling binges, the refurbishing of the Petit Trianon, her private playhouse, lovers and alleged loverettes. The only time she slowed down was when she finally got pregnant, but even when delivering she had an audience perched around her boudoir looking on.
Je t'aime, Je t'aime, Je t'aime.
C'est tout ce que je veux dire,
Jusqu'a ce que je trouve un moyen Je dirai les seuls mots que je sais que
Vous l'aurez compris.
J'ai besoin de toi, J'ai besoin de toi, J'ai besoin de toi.
J'ai besoin de te faire voir, Oh, ce que tu represents pour moi.
Jusqu'a ce que je fais, je suis en esperant vous sera
Savoir ce que je veux dire.
But what really did poor Marie in was l'affaire du collier. It seems that some of Marie's worst enemies conspired to get her to purchase a necklace that was created for Mme. duBarry. When Marie said you must be crazy if you think that I am going to purchase a piece of jewelry designed by my father-in-law for his mistress, her frenemies went into deep deception and rigged it to seem as if she were writing letters to Cardinal Richeleau, and asking him to purchase the necklace for her. When everything was revealed in court, Marie's reputation was further soiled and eventually was one of the major conspiracies used against her before her fateful ending at the blade of Monsieur Guillotine's handy invention.
Je t'aime.
Now we progress almost 300 years later, and America has its' own Marie Antoinette, via First Lady Michelle Obama. Just as Marie was a change-maker during her time, so is Michelle Obama. From using The White House as a pulpit to promote the arts, to her agenda to change the eating habits of American children. Marie made dining at Versailles coed, Michelle has brought in a private chef. Marie installed French gardens, Michelle installs an educational vegetable garden, and starts The White House Farmer's Market. Michelle Obama has proven that she is a modern-day woman of choice for the modern world.
Je te veux, Je te veux, Je te veux.
Je pense que vous savez maintenant
Je vais arriver a vous en quelque sorte.
Jusqu's ce que je fair, je vous dis donc
Vous l'aurez compris.
But what really sets Mrs. Obama apart from all the other throne sitters is her economic power. When it comes to creating the economic jump-start that everyone is talking about, Queen Michelle does it, and does it in spades.
Recently, David Yermack, professor at New York University, wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review (http://www.hbr.org/), detailing Mrs. Obama's prowess when it comes to creating economic growth. He looked at economic reports from fashion companies whose clothes Mrs. Obama had worn in 2009. Here is just a brief synopsis of what he found:
$14 million - the average value generated by any public appearance
$2.7 billion - total value created for 29 companies by Obama's wardrobe choices in 189 public appearances.
As Naeem Khan, the India-born designer who created the beaded, strapeless sheath that she wore to the first White House State Dinner, said, "she is the gift that keeps on giving."
Mrs. Obama is the first American First Lady, who has created this type of economic impact in history. Of course there are other first ladies, such as Carla Bruni-Sarkozy of France, who is considered a fashion power. What puts Mrs. Obama at the front of the pack, is that she mixes and matches from various price-points, while Mrs. Sarkozy is a strict Dior mannequin, and Dior sells at prices that the majority of women in the world cannot afford. She is also compared to Jackie Kennedy, who was pretty much a one-trick pony as well, wearing clothes by her private couturier, Oleg Cassini. Mrs. Obama, unlike these other first ladies, likes to give everyone an equal chance to drape, cut, and sew for her, which includes African-American, Asian, Hispanic, African, European, and Caucasian designers. Mrs. Obama is the first White House occupant to utilize an abundance of minority designers.
Je dirai les seuls mots que je sais que
Vous l'aurez compris, mon Michelle.
Mrs. Obama is a powerhouse when it comes to her fashion influence. For instance, the other day the Colored Man was at a middle-school, and there in the audience sat an 8th grade student. Her outfit consisted of a simple sweater-set, jeans, and ballerina flats. On her left arm were thick multi-colored bracelets, and on the right arm were about 20 thin gold-toned bracelets. I immediate thought was there goes the Obama Look, even with 12-year old girls. Her influence on adult women and fashion is even more stupendous. Another story-I have a co-worker who is not on anyone's best-dressed list, however, last week she wore a sweater with a white blouse underneath, black skirt, and black boots. Around her waist was one of Mrs. Obama's favorite looks: the thick, figure defining belt. Older and younger women alike, strive to get the Obama Look. The seek it at Neimen's and Nordstroms. They seek it at JC Penney and TJ Maxx.
Mrs. Obama has approval ratings in the 70's, while her husband's ratings hover in the mid-40's. Hopefully, this will change as the economy improves. But I don't really care about ratings and such, I am excited that we have a First Lady who is all meat and potatoes. She has heft and gravitas. She's elegant, sophisticated, inspirational and has a body to "beat the band." She is the modern-day woman, and not the dowdy, helmet-haired, mousy first ladies of our past, and the Colored Man loves it!!!
She is definitely la femme de choix!!!!!!!
Bonjour,
L'homme de Couleur
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