November 12, 2008 | 5:00 pm

Designers Dream Big for the Obamas’ Inauguration Formal Wear

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

Courtesy Reem Acra

Reem Acra’s sketch

Courtesy Isabel Toledo

Isabel Toledo’s sketch

LBW

That family is so beautiful, they will look good no matter what they wear. They are all healthy, lean and tall. Truly good looking.

Rachel

I really really really loveee the first one!! (the red white and blue one). I think that it would look sooooo cute on the girls!!

Lexyb

Marc Bouwer alllllll the way!

jennifer

this is great!

sylvia

isabel toledo’s sketch reminds me of those nordstrom ads…very cool, in a cartoonish way

Nazi

Marc Bouwer

Jan

Marc Bouwer. The best shapes of all the choices.

Lanna

NOT Isabel’s. It just doesn’t fit.

M. Bouwer…looks good.

I could see them in the Reem designs, but I just don’t like that the girls dresses are the same design.

justcuz

I like the Reem dresses – they are very classy and pretty.

Ohioan

I don’t care for the Reem Acra looks for Malia and Sasha – too long and stuffy for young girls. I like Marc Bouwer best – most interesting designs. I think MO would look great in the asymmetrical shape.

EChizzle

The Marc Bouwer all the way.

JemL

Definately the Reem Acra one, its the most wearable

Joy

The last designer seems to forget that the family is not white. And I don’t think it’s fancy enough.

I would have to go with the first one.
I think Michele should be dressed to the ‘nines’.

jeuz

Look like classy ya..

vonica

LOVE! THE FIRST ONE RED WHITE N BLUE

bre

I think that the first hands down is the right choice. The outfits are classy, simple and gorgous. The colours I think work beautifully with their skin tone, the blue’s, red and white will make them stand out in their own way. The other two designs are way to catwalk and not practical for a first lady and her family. Espeically the colours and the designs, they are too stuffy and the colour would wash them out.

Courtney

Beautiful!!

THANKS SO MUCH PEOPLE for your Obama cover story this week AND the article about “The Real Life Changeling”. I saw the movie and became very curious about te real life side. Thank YOU!

Love some Jolie & Obama haha

Jennifer

Just wondering why they are portrayed as a white family in the last sketch…

jane

I like the first one!

pamela

She looks awful in dresses…any dress

linda r-er

I hope she has more choices…

me

I think Isabele is a little color blind.

Deck the Halls… « 1stnFab

[...] the project runway  peeps have sketched up some probable looks. People.com’s Off the Rack showcased some sketches by  Marc Bouwer, Reem Acra, and Isabelle Toledo (respectively)  enjoy!  [...]

Sam

They’re not portrayed as white in Isabel Toledo’s design, if you see carefully, you can see the outline used is brown. When drawing, you don’t have to fill the spaces necessarily, with the color of the outline is enough to guess the color it should be.

I think the best option would be first one.

jamie

she’s the first of her kind?? what the..?

Dallas

I would consider it a real change if they wear clothes from stores like Macys or Gap like regular Americans. No need to waste money when common citizens are facing hardships.

Sonia

I’m expect them to set a trend by going informal. May be blazers with jeans or something like that a real american can afford too. We don’t want catwalk, we want them to walk the talk.

DeeM

If it’s not designed in black send it back!

lynn

The dresses for the girls-1st choice-look like pagent dresses-yuck.So not these girls. The color for Michele is nice. Hope she wears her hair up.

2nd choice-too stuffy,high dollar looking-not good for “bad” economy times. Michele dress looks like wedding dress

3rd choice-classic, not frilly. The girls don’t have to match red,white,blue. Elegant,classic is way to go. Looks like “Kennedy” times. My vote. It’s the White House, not Oscars/Hollywood.

Dawn

Marc Bouwer’s vision is very classy. I liked his
the best. Excuse me, Dallas we are all for change
but be for real, wearing something from the GAP
for a pinic is acceptable,but the inuaguration and ball requires the upmost designer input!

Obama Chooses Inagural Tux « Heidi’s Weblog

[...] hard time picking between designers like favorites Narciso Rodriguez and Thakoon or star-favorites Reem Acra and Marc Bouwer for her inaugural dress, but President-elect Barack Obama’s tuxedo decision was simple: [...]

CJ

Mark Bouwer

Daily Cherez » Blog Archive » What Will She Wear?

[...] had she, it would likely have looked something like the above. People magazine asked her, and fellow designers Marc Bouwer and Isabel Toledo to come up with something appropriately [...]

Annie

Marc Bouwer, I diffently like the designs of Marc Bouwer. More fashionable and stylish.

Isabel Toledo Musings on Style | thedivatalkshop.com

[...] Image courtesy Isabel Toledo via People [...]

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