The Obama family has undoubtedly left a positive legacy on this country that will be difficult to compete with, but luckily they haven’t fallen out of the spotlight just yet. Barack and Michelle’s official White House portraits were recently unveiled, and our kween Michelle’s portrait is as unique, innovative and powerful as you would expect. Artist Amy Sherald painted the Former First Lady sitting in an outstanding statement dress designed by Milly co-Founder and creative director Michelle Smith, and the messaging here goes deeper than you can imagine. The dress came inspired by a similar gown from Smith’s spring 2017 collection, highlighting chic geometric stripes complemented by a halter neckline – totally something we could imagine Michelle Obama wearing on a typical day. What the image and dress bring is an overall modern addition to the collection of presidential portraits, and also political significancy that continues the urgency of the Obama’s time in office.
Original sketch of Michelle Obama’s portrait dress – Michelle Smith / Instagram
Fun fact: These are the first-ever White House portraits to be painted by African-American artists. And, according to The Washington Post, the original Milly runway gown the dress derived from was inspired by Michelle Smith’s “desire for equality, equality in human rights, racial equality, LGBTQ equality.” We love that – in traditional Michelle Obama style – even her immortalized dress and portrait will be embedded with significance and political messaging.
Amy Sherald also commented on her interpretation of the dress during the unveiling. “Milly’s design also resembles the inspired quilt masterpieces made by the women of Gee’s Bend, a small remote black community in Alabama where they compose quilts in geometries that transform clothes and fabric remnants into masterpieces.”
We lowkey miss Mrs. Obama every freaking day, but we’re so glad this portrait is around to reign supreme and prove that her influence extends beyond her time in the White House. The Obama fam has always been breaking boundaries and influencing change, and this is just another testament to that fact.