Oscar de la Renta has tough words for Michelle Obama

[Thrill]

Oscar de la Renta has tough words for Michelle Obama

(CNN) – Michelle Obama's fashion choices at the G20 summit have drawn widespread praise, but at least one famous designer thinks the fist lady made a major faux pas in her wardrobe choice for a private audience with Queen Elizabeth II.

"You don't…go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater," Oscar de la Renta told Woman's Wear Daily regarding Mrs. Obama's decision to wear a cardigan over an Isabel Toledo-designed dress for the private meeting.

De la Renta also said the first lady — who often sports relatively affordable American brands — should broaden her wardrobe and seize an opportunity to spur the flailing fashion industry.

“American fashion right now is struggling,” he said. “I think I understand what are doing, but I don’t think that is the right message at this particular point."

"I don’t object to the fact that Mrs. Obama is wearing J. Crew to whatever because the diversity of America is what makes this country great. But there are a lot of great designers out there. I think it’s wrong to go in one direction only," he added.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/03/oscar-de-la-renta-has-tough-words-for-michelle-obama/

What a Prick.

[slackmaster]

1. Up until this moment I never thought Oscar de la Renta was a real person

Color me shocked.

[KansasVoter]

15. lol

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. de la Renta is a snob

[Captain Hilts]

6. He is of another generation. And he's right if men are in biz suits women...

generally shouldn't wear sweaters. But this was not an after five or formal affair I don't believe.

[MADem]

9. He would have ripped her a new one if she took the sweater off, too.

Ewwww...you don't GEW to the Palace SLEEVELESS, he'd say.

He's not a snob. He's just pissed she didn't pack any of his lousy rags in her suitcase.

[babylonsister]

3. For anyone criticizing Mrs. Obama, just look at the queen. I think

Michelle is doing just fine w/o Oscar. BTW, wasn't there an old thread around here about Oscar? :shrug:

[Captain Hilts]

4. True, but for an afternoon event, it was perfectly fine. nt

[Aloha Spirit]

5. He's been a hater. He missed the days of Laura Bush. Fortunately, Michelle is smart, and this

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/06/earlyshow/main2233193.shtml

will not be a problem for her.

[MADem]

7. Sorry, Oscar--you may not have done so before...but you do NOW.

It was a nice sweater, too. I'm guessing Lizzie asked her "Where'd ya get that? What--you can do MAIL ORDER? Ewww, how fabulous! Give me the address!!!"

He's just mad because she didn't wear his shit. If he had the talent of Oleg Cassini, maybe she would!

[ohheckyeah]

8. Oh yeah

Americans would love to know the first lady paid $5,000 for a De la Renta when they can't afford to buy groceries. What an ass.

[Kdillard]

10. Sourgrapes because Michelle has not come crawling to him and

instead chooses to spotlight less well known designers.

[otohara]

18. Nancy Reagan A Huge OdlR

fan...Laura called on him also. Excellent reason to avoid him IMO.

[Lerkfish]

11. and before JFK, men ALWAYS wore hats

one charismatic influential fashion "faux pas" changed what was accepted.

[Honeycombe8]

12. She didn't wear a cardigan to meet the Queen, I believe. She wore a silk dress with silk overcoat.

She took the matching silk coat off at some point and was wearing just the white/black silk sleeveless dress.

I THINK that's what I saw in the pics.

She wore a cardigan to speak at the girl's school, and she wore a different cardigan (with bling) on her first day, to attend something else.

[Ilsa]

43. That's right. Oscar should get his information right. He's blowing his

top over nothing because she wasn't wearing his couture crap.

[Beacool]

48. She wore the cardigan to have tea with the Queen.

She didn't have her coat on at the time. Look again at the pics.

;-)

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Cold and damp and not as comfy as it looks

My description of the reception rooms at Buck'ham Palace. Chilly, and I'd wear a sweater if I could not wear a jacket, like men are allowed to do. This was daytime, for crying out loud!
The days of Haute Oscar are fading. The market for his high end styles is dwindling, as even those who can afford and acess it reject that style as old and tired and tained by over consumption. A new day dawns, and it is wearing a nice sweater if it damn well wants to. Bad news for Oscar.
I think the Queen was impressed and delighted by Michelle as well as by the President. I also think the Queen loved the i-Pod. It was a gift that showed thought and preparation, which are among the few things one can really give to a person who has the world at her beck and call. The best gift is the one she'd not think to ask for or want, because if she already wanted, she'd already have.
And HRH, like many of us, has a history with the last President that would tend to make her glad to see intelligence and grace in office again. GW was on the Royal shit list long before he became president. He was rude to her during Poppy's administration. Rude, crass, and far over the line in terms of personal comments and questions to the Queen. So she did not like him when much of America did not even know he existed.

[ncteechur]

14. Oscar de la Renta is a has-been designer. No one cares what he thinks anymore.

[ClarkUSA]

16. Who's Oscar de la Renta and why does he have a stick up his butt?

[NYC_SKP]

17. Oscar de la Renta whines about the fashion industry needing help?

He's talking about the high end stuff, accessible to the top 1 or 2 percent?

And, like others, I imagine the middle class begins at $250,000/year or higher.

He can just go away please.

What the "fashion industry" and Americans need are JCrew type lines, made in America at affordable prices.

[janx]

19. The fist lady?

:shrug:

[lunatica]

20. And his thought is that he's skewering her into submission or something?

Verbally flagellating her into his clothes?

My thought is he may have just lost some clients and J. Crew may be picking some up after this little fit of his.

[mix]

21. a man with a refined sense of priorities

whatever

[Barack_America]

22. And the Queen doesn't hug people or listen to iPods.

Oh wait, she does.

The times are changing, Oscar, and it looks like you've been left behind.

[WCGreen]

23. Hey Oscar....

Fuck you...

The new rule is there are no rules of fashion...

I think we fought a revolution about his type of thing some 233 years ago.

[JBoy]

24. He's just pissed because Cindy McCain would be wearing his shit

Hey Oscar, you don't go to Buckingham Palace looking like a Star Trek extra.

[Reterr]

27. LOL

:thumbsup:

Oscar sounds like the kind of moronic snob that has a royalty fetish.

[treestar]

63. What a scary photo!

[AnnieBW]

25. Hey Oscar

STFU and go back to clothing old ladies. There's a new game in town.

[Reterr]

26. "You don't…go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater,"

Hey moron...you get that these aren't like the laws of Physics or anything right? Times change :eyes:.

[SoCalDem]

37. Okay.. lets call it a knitted, lightweight , form-fitting jacket then

:)

[TheKentuckian]

28. We don't care what some overpaid tailor thinks.

Oscar, make yerself useful son, and go stitch a quilt or something.

[FrenchieCat]

29. A rather old little man who saw his hey day long ago.

French Haute Couture is no longer appropriate in these times of economic hardship. Our First Lady is one of the people, and she will wear what is appropriate for her, and Yve St. Laurent's perfume stinks. He should be working on figuring out what is the problem with his old ass passé brand that no one under 65 wants to touch with a 10 ft. pole.

[polichick]

30. I visited his site and found some of the ugliest outfits I've ever seen.

[DevonRex]

32. *snort* I was just thinking the same thing. You go, girl!

[vaberella]

67. See you're as closed-minded as Michelle. It's not ugly, i's haute couture.

Get it together or you can't live happy in this world; you low class in-bred American.

I hate these stupid ass designers who don't know their mouth from their asses and basically assume all women are prepubescent sticks who are extremely loaded to afford their over priced shite.

[DevonRex]

31. Oscar has been hanging around runways a little too long. A sweater IS

appropriate for an afternoon meeting with the Queen of England. The Palace has said that this was an informal meeting, meant to be welcoming and gracious.

Had Michelle worn the funky sweater that she wore to watch the schoolgirls perform, it would not have been appropriate. But a dressy black sweater that matched her skirt was definitely appropriate.

How old is Oscar, anyway? He's acting older than the Queen herself, who seemed quite pleased with Michelle and even broke with tradition to hug her.

[Cha]

33. Those aren't so tough words...

He has an opinion and he said it nicely:)

But, this comment was a real "OUCH"..

Martin Arguello April 3rd, 2009 9:45 pm ET

"Michelle Obama, is the wife to the most powerful man in the world. She is also the first black first lady. Furthermore, she's an attorney and a mother of two. The world is looking to her for guidance. Appearances are everything right now. If she wants to pretend that's she humble, well great. However, Mrs. Obama out of anyone should know that there are dress codes for every occasion. She wouldn't show up to court in a mini skirt. Why would she show up in a sweater to the G-20. She needs to start setting an example and needs to start presenting herself as a strong leader, She needs to stop wearing these green outfits and start wearing a business suit, if she wants to be treated with respect. As a public figure and a role model to our world's youth, it is her obligation and responsiblity to represent herself in a proper fashion."

[donheld]

34. Oscar can blow it out his ASS

Can you imagine the right wing rage if Michelle started running around in high end fashion designer close all the time. I'm very glad she just dresses like she always has and I think 99% of the time she looks damn FINE.

[firedupdem]

35. She doesn't want to wear your shit. Get over it. n/t

[SoCalDem]

36. Oscar is remembering how things were in 1959..

The meeting with HRH was NOT an official state visit..

and it IS 2009 now :)

[SemiCharmedQuark]

38. That guy's an ass. Didn't he also criticize Hillary?

[Sultana]

41. Yep

something about she needs to show some skin

I think

[Sultana]

39. He's bitching cause she didn't wear any of his designs

<--------Hater to the left

STFU, Oscar

[Crabby Appleton]

62. Exactly - nt

[proud patriot]

40. I always think of Malory Keaton when I think of Fashion Designers

:shrug:

[Skittles]

42. get over yourself, Oscar, you fucking snob

Michelle looked lovely without sporting your overpriced crap

[PA Democrat]

44. Michele could have spent a fortune and worn one of THESE attractive numbers by De la Renta

:rofl:

[rocktivity]

57. Knee-high stockings with SKIRTS? Really???

:rofl:
rocktivity

[PA Democrat]

45. Oh wait. Here it is: the PERFECT little de la Renta dress for tea with the Queen!

[SKKY]

46. Look, we've already got 1 Mr. Blackwell. We don't need another...

...arrogant, pompous snob.

[EmilyAnne]

47. "You don't…go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater." Except when you do. Because that's what she did.

And the cardigan wasn't J Crew.
Nor was the dress beneath it.
So.....maybe you can STFU, sir?

[jesus_of_suburbia]

49. She looked fantastic... and personally I am SO happy that she ISN'T wearing all the expensive crap

all the time.

Snobby designers can cram it.

[geiger]

50. I guess she can wear whatever she wants. Ha.

[opihimoimoi]

51. Oscar is Old and Obsolete...Grumpy too....Look for the GOOD much Oscar??

[LittleBlue]

52. Big deal. He's a fashionisto

and this just makes Michelle look more in touch with the average American.

Thanks for the boost, Oscar!

[Botany]

53. Shove it you hack

[PM Martin]

54. Fashion Designers/Magazines and the industry in general

rank not to far from the Finance industry in terms of being smarmy.

[ErinBerin84]

55. heh

I posted a couple months ago on a fashion board "I'm glad that Michelle doesn't wear the same old first lady Oscar de La Blah Blah Blah."

[CakeGrrl]

56. Poor Oscar...he's a little pissy because the First Lady isn't buying his stuff.

Sorry dude!

:rofl:

You know these big-name designers are chomping at the bit to get their names mentioned alongside the First Lady, and it's driving 'em nuts that newer, lesser-known designers are getting their names in print.

Oscar, how much money and name recognition do you NEED?

[rocktivity]

64. Here's what happened when the previous first lady bought Oscar's stuff

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/06/earlyshow/main2233193.shtml

:headbang:
rocktivity

[CakeGrrl]

65. Good one. That's another fringe benefit of choosing a fresh face

You run a lot less risk of seeing your ensemble at the same function!

[ErinBerin84]

58. another thing I don't get about this quote

The "I think it's wrong to go in one direction only"...he acts as if J Crew is all she wears, and we all know that she has been providing some great publicity for lesser known designers. Methinks Oscar would not object if it was "one direction" De La Renta.

[roseBudd]

59. Sorry Oscar but fashion is ridiculously wasteful

[CreekDog]

60. but I think Bob Mackey would have liked what she wore

:think:

[rocktivity]

61. Oscar's hurting for money, all right

He designed a gown for Laura Bush and sold it to three others--all of whom wore it to the same party!

x(
rocktivity

[vaberella]

66. S/HE's still alive?! n/t