Archive: November 12th, 2008

Courtesy Marc Bouwer

Signing on to dress the first lady for the Inauguration Ball is always a big deal, but this year, “it’s every designer’s dream to dress Michelle Obama,” says New York designer Marc Bouwer. PEOPLE asked Bouwer and designers Reem Acra and Isabel Toledo to come up with sketches of how they’d dress the First-Family-elect, given the honor. Bouwer, whose design appears above, took special inspiration from Michelle, who “has a much more modern approach to dressing,” he says. “She’s probably the most body-conscious dresser out of any First Lady we’ve had, and her clothes have a more modern silhouette.” Plus, as the United States’ first African-American first lady, “She’s the first of her kind,” adds Bouwer. “The designer who gets this will snag a major part of history. This will be remembered now and for forever.” Click through to check out Inauguration Ball sketches by red carpet favorites Isabel Toledo and Reem Acra. Then tell us: Which designer do you think has the winning look? –Charlotte Triggs

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Jason Merritt/FilmMagic

With temperatures in Hollywood getting cooler by the day, stars like Nicole Richie, Mandy Moore, Michelle Trachtenberg, Nicky Hilton, Jessica Stroup and more turned out to enjoy 25% off fall styles at H&M in West Hollywood. The night featured DJ Tendaji Lathan spinning music to get celebs in the holiday shopping spirit — not that they need any help. 90210’s Jessica Stroup couldn’t resist snagging a few knee-length dresses, while Nicole and Nicky gabbed with Mandy Moore and Mischa Barton made a dash for the hair accessories. And while these stars love a sale, they’re also die-hard H&M fans. Nicole and Michelle already have pieces of the Comme des Garcons for H&M collection, which won’t hit stores until later this week.–Amy Keiths