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Melina Mara/The Washington Post Former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama onstage during the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.
The Washington Post / Shane O’Neill
13:28 JST, August 22, 2024
Michelle Obama took to the Democratic National Convention stage on Tuesday night wearing a navy suit by the New York City-based brand Monse.
The belted sleeveless tunic showed off Obama’s signature arms and featured a wrapped collar fashioned from its lapels, paired with slightly flooded pants and kitten heels by Jimmy Choo.
It was one of the more subdued looks from Monse’s Resort 2025 collection, but a somewhat surprising choice for the former first lady. While Obama has long been a champion of American designers such as Jason Wu, Thakoon and Tracy Reese, her two terms as first lady are mostly remembered for classic A-line dresses.
The deconstructed suiting of this Monse look calls to mind the avant-garde work of Margiela more than the (very demure, very mindful) pantsuits Obama has embraced after her stint in the White House.
Monse was founded in 2015 by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, who met when they were both working at Oscar de la Renta, only to later return as that label’s co-creative directors. “Monse” – pronounced “mon-say” – is a permutation of Garcia’s mother’s name, Monserrat.
“Laura and I just want to make women look empowered but hot,” Garcia said from the Monse office in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan.
Kim concurred, adding that Obama provided a perfect encapsulation of their approach to deconstructed menswear for women. “I feel like last night, she really embodied our philosophy behind the brand better than we could ever have planned.”
Obama’s stylist, Meredith Koop, reached out to Monse a few weeks ago inquiring about the suit for an unnamed upcoming event. Reading between the lines, Garcia inferred that it was for the Democratic National Convention, but he wasn’t sure the collaboration would happen until he watched Obama walk onstage last night. The sight moved him to tears.
“Fernando cries over everything,” said Kim, who was asleep during Obama’s speech and woke up to a barrage of texts and emails.
Michelle Obama’s appearance made waves online, with Women’s Wear Daily noting the outfit’s “futuristic flair” and the Independent writing, “Michelle Obama means business in navy power suit.”
The suit is now available for preorder on the Monse website, where the jacket sells for $1,690 and the trousers for $890 and should be delivered to customers in November.
Will orders be delivered before Election Day? “Good point,” said Garcia with a laugh. “That’s pretty funny. I never thought of that.”
