8 Asians

Four years ago, Michelle Obama’s decision to wear a Jason Wu gown for the President Obama’s 2009 inaugural ball brought Taiwanese American designer Jason Wu into the world’s spotlight.

On the occasion of her husband’s second inauguration, the First Lady chose another custom Jason Wu design, this one a ruby-colored chiffon and velvet gown, and in the process, securing her spot as Jason Wu’s biggest fan. In fact, Michelle Obama was also the first person to wear clothes from Jason’s contemporary label ‘Miss Wu.’

The New York Times reports on the First Lady’s inauguration fashion choices:

All day, designers were glued to the television to see what Mrs. Obama was wearing, hoping it would be them, but she ultimately chose the same one who made the first inauguration a fashion success. The dress was persimmon-colored with cross-halter straps and a loose fit similar to the ivory one-shouldered gown she wore in 2009. Her shoes were from Jimmy Choo, and the dress design included a handmade diamond ring by Kimberly McDonald.

“I’m still floating,” Mr. Wu said from his design studio, where he was watching the ball with his staff. “It is a big surprise. The White House kept me pretty clueless until five minutes ago.”

The bright red color, which a White House pool report described as “ruby,” was also shocking, especially after a weekend of events when the first lady wore a series of streamlined dresses in dark colors. Many designers thought she would wear blue.

“As a designer, you have to drown out all of that noise,” Mr. Wu said. “You have to think about the client, and I felt like red was such a perfect color for her. It’s such a confident color for her and it really was my first instinct.”

Over at 8Asians, we’re fans of commenting on his personal life and the Jason Wu Target Collection which debuted during the Super Bowl in 2012.

h/t: John

Photo credit: Luke Sharrett for The New York Times