Michelle Obama Effect Makes Jason Wu a New York Fashion Week Star

by Tina Kells | February 16, 2009 at 11:54 am

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Few people had heard of Jason Wu before Michelle Obama wore his design at President Barack Obama's inaugural ball and now he is a New York Fashion Week star. Now Wu and other designers who have dressed the newest First Lady are enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame as they bask in the limelight of what is being called the Michelle Obama Effect.

The Michelle Obama Effect is being credited with filling all the seats at Jason Wu's New York Fashion Week show with A-listers and fashion land elite. Just last year most of those in attendance at Jason Wu's show had better placed to be but thanks to the Michelle Obama Effect Wu gave his 2009 show to a packed house.

Other designers who are also riding the waves of the Michelle Obama Effect. Maria Pinto, the First Lady's favorite Chicago based designer, can't keep up with the influx of orders. Cuban born Narciso Rodriguez, who dressed Michelle Obama for the We Are One concert, has seen a growing interest from American fashionistas.

The lable Thakoon has been soaring in popularity since Michelle Obama wore it at the Democatric Convention in 2008. Even J. Crew has seen a wave of sales that can only be attributed to the Michelle Obama Effect; she talks about her love of J. Crew clothing and even wears a J. Crew design in her Vogue spread.

"The fact that Michelle Obama is wearing Jason Wu makes him hotter than hot," said Suze Yalof Schwartz, Glamour magazine's fashion editor at large. "I've never been to his show before, but it was the only show I wasn't going to miss this season."
Wu, who grew up in Taipei, Taiwan, started his label in 2006 and, since Mrs Obama's patronage, half his spring collection shipped to the stores has already sold out.

"It has been tremendous," said Wu. "The recognition alone is something designers work 10 or 15 years for and this is global recognition. This will put the brand to the next level."

The First Lady is also wearing one of Wu's designs (a fuchsia sheath dress) on the cover of Vogue's March edition, which helped to insure that his New York fashion show last Friday became one of the most coveted invitations in town.