Michelle Obama Is Schiaparelli Goddess of Strength and Energy at Smithsonian Fundraiser

Michelle Obama with Schiaparelli Creative Director Daniel Roseberry. © Paul Morigi/Invision/AP/Shutterstock via British Vogue

Michelle Obama loves yellow, and she achieved true goddess stature wearing a custom Schiaparelli gown to the American Portrait Gala. Obama attended the event to support her friend Lin-Manuel Miranda, now a permanent fixture on the wall of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, in artwork by Mark Seliger.

“What I love most is that [Lin] believes it’s his duty to lift up those around him, especially the next generation,” the beloved former First Lady said of the ‘Hamilton’ creator. “He’s someone who has, in melody and rhyme and connection, painted as honest a portrait of our country as I’ve ever seen. Love this guy.”

Speaking of Michelle Obama’s dress, Schiaparelli Creative Director Daniel Roseberry commented on the design: “The inspiration for the shape originally came from the crinoline which is often found underneath couture gowns, but the real starting point for the overall look was the colour. The acidic tone echoes Elsa Schiaparelli’s signature shocking pink, and we also felt that it matched the strength and energy of Mrs Obama. It was such an honour to make this special gown for her.”

Roseberry waxed lyrical about Madame Schiaparelli when he took the creative reins at the house in April. “She was a master of the modern; her work reflected the chaos and hope of the turbulent era in which she lived,” he said. “Today, we find ourselves asking similarly big, identity-shaping questions of our own: What does art look like? What is identity? How do we dress for the end of the world?” via British Vogue.

Besides Lin-Manuel Miranda, other honorees included Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee band Earth, Wind & Fire, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi.

The event raised more than $2 million in support of the Smithsonian museum’s endowment for exhibitions, with more than 700 guests in attendance. The Washingtontonian provides photos galore.