All eyes were on first daughter Malia Obama on Monday while she was at the Lollapalooza because of her outfit that revealed her abs.
However, the next day, all attention focused on the white dress worn by First Lady Michelle Obama for the state dinner for the Singaporean prime minister. The New York Times identified her gown designer as Brandon Maxwell, the stylist of Lady Gaga.
She wore the strapless, ivory crepe with Art Deco folds at the neck and sides by the up-and-coming designer, part of the FLOTUS’ effort to promote the career of young American designers on the global stage. Besides designing Lady Gaga’s white and strapless pantsuit the singer wore to the Oscars, the 31-year-old designer was a 2016 finalist for the LVMH Prize for young fashion designers.
In June, Maxwell got the Swarovski award for women’s wear at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards. When he found out that Michelle Obama wore his designs to the state dinner, the young designer was in Austria. He posted a photo of the gown on Instagram, commenting it was a very proud moment for him and his team.
According to Washington Post, Maxwell grew up in Texas where he worked as a fashion assistant and stylist for several years. In 2015, he launched his collection in New York.
Although the FLOTUS is his client now, Maxwell still works as the fashion director of Lady Gaga. He is credited with helping transform the singer’s image from someone who wears meat to awards night into an elegant, multitalented entertainment.
Besides Maxwell, Michelle Obama has worn the designs of Jean Paul Gaultier, Duro Olowu, Alexander McQueenn and Moschino.