“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

Oy, talk about a flap…and I mean the flapping mouth of Douglas Hannant regarding his (possibly) out of context statement about Michelle Obama, “Everyone compares her to Jackie O–she is not the next Jackie O.” Naturally, these words were met with gasps. No one in the fashion industry is allowed to say anything bad about the First Lady. Oscar de la Renta took a little heat when he dished Michelle for her wardrobe choice when meeting Queen Elizabeth II, “You don’t go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.” The issue here is not what Douglas said or Oscar, and I will add myself to that list because I have been known to “calls it as I sees it” and comment on when she makes fashion faux pas. And Michelle has made some doozies. The issue for me is that no one is allowed to say anything that is politically incorrect. Well honeys, I may as well cease and desist right now. Part of my manifesto is to say what is on my mind, which tends to be what a lot of people are thinking…but dare not say. I have developed a reputation of being “brutally honest” (Fern Mallis quote) so you can call me Brutally Honest Abe. Is that really a bad thing? To some, specifically those who are forever watching what they say to whom, for fear of being taken off “the list”. To others, it is a refreshing change from being force fed politically correct speak and soundbites from press releases.

Case in point, after the Hannant hub bub, his flack quickly sent in a statement to the Huffington Post, “I did say ‘Michelle Obama is not another Jackie Kennedy and I do not consider to be a style icon.’ But in addition, I also said ‘She has so much more to her and has mass appeal. I admire her as a role model and think she will achieve great things in her position as First Lady.’ And by the way, I voted for Obama.” Would it have been so terrible for him to just be one of those designers that will never dress Michelle? Put it this way, I doubt she will wear him now, so what did he lose? I am sure Michelle doesn’t care one way or the other what anyone says about her. She is way too fierce to give a hoot about some Seventh Avenue schmatta peddler. And (B) Michelle Obama is not another Jackie O…arrest me. Must everybody’s value be based on a comparison to someone else? Does that make her more palatable somehow? I never got that whole comparison from the get go. Can’t Michelle Obama’s fabulosity be the benchmark for herself. And not because Barbara Walters thinks she’s fascinating? This is what was annoying about the fashion industry when they all started tripping over themselves to schmooze their way into the good graces of the Obama camp during the campaign. Granted, we all did a great thing by supporting Barack…though I am an ardent Hillary fan. But it was all soooo obvious. Michelle was amazing way before Andre Leon Tally introduced her to “fashion society”. And what makes Michelle so dynamic has very little to do with fashion really. That was Jackie’s strength. Why Michelle is her own undeniable force is based on the choices she makes, such as her commitment to children’s health and obesity issues, which the fashion industry must be loving, in the hopes that we never have to see fatties in the next generation.