♥ life, liberty and the pursuit of fashionableness.

after having written nearly one hundred fashion posts,

i think it is high time that i pay homage to one of

today's most fashionable and inspiring women,

first lady, michelle obama.

in her interview in the march issue of vogue,

mrs. obama and editor at large, andré leon talley talked shop.

{..shopping that is!}

"i love clothes." she admits. "first and foremost,

i wear what i love. that's what women have to focus on:

what makes them happy and what makes them feel

comfortable and beautiful. if i can have an impact,

i want women to feel good about themselves

and have fun with fashion."

it is that very sentiment that i feel michelle obama

brings to the table each day when it comes to dressing for

her role as first lady in command. {see daily lookbook}

her fearless and fun approach to fashion is a reminder of

a woman's right to bare arms {see video},

and her liberal blending of designer labels like

thakoon, jason wu, maria pinto and narcisco rodriguez

with more popular brands like j.crew, white house black market,

and talbots serve as a reminder that there is a democracy in fashion.

so, while president obama has proven that "clothes do make the man,"

i believe it is certainly style, like michelle obama's

which makes the woman.

here are some of my favorite 1st lady looks from the blog

devoted to michelle's fashion: mrs. o

as well as abc news.

my second favorite michelle obama accessory

(besides her handsome presidential husband)

is her fabulous collection of belts, which she finds

a way to tie into almost every ensemble she puts together.

and lord knows if i ever become first lady,

i will be wearing diane von furstenberg every day,

just like michelle in this skirt from the dvf fall collection

and this sparkly sheer dress.

my mother always says to "sparkle every day."

i believe that someone must have given mrs. obama the same advice!

she is certainly no stranger to sparkle.

she is also not shy when it comes to color.

often choosing bold citrus hues that border

on garrish, she is a girl after my own,

"so ugly its cute" heart.

..and she had me at that bow!

while in the past,

first ladies like the iconic jackie kennedy,

have worked exclusively with fashion designers to produce

their signature american lady "look,"

michelle obama has chosen a road less travelled

by her presidential predecessors,

and that road leads to

a little chicago boutique

called ikram.

image via the new york times.

the store is owned by it's namesake,

ikram goldman,

who is mrs. obama's unofficial wardrobe consultant and stylist.

(what i would give for that job!)

recently named "the influencer" on

elle magazine's 2009 it list,

ms. goldman has been quietly and discreetly

guiding michelle down a stylish path paved with

one.of.a.kind pieces custom made from little.known designers,

which she carries exclusively in her shop.

with a retail background that spans ten years under the wing

of pioneer retailer, joan weinstein owner of high end boutique, ultimo,

ikram has an amazingly gifted eye for choosing the pieces

that most buyers would see as too risky to keep in their stores.

she has exquisite taste that is so luxurious

it can be argued that she appeals only to people who

"understand" fashion.

it is a good thing for her that michelle obama

is one of those people.