Michelle Obama made waves this week wearing a floor-length white column gown by Naeem Khan to a state dinner for Germany.  She looked almost as spectacular as she did in the shimmering gold strapless Naeem Khan gown she wore to a state dinner for India last fall, which remains her finest fashion moment.  Khan has established himself as a master of special event dressing.  (Surprisingly, Annette Bening was the only lady who wore Khan to the Oscars this year.)  His gowns have Halston-like sophistication and Bob Mackie-like exuberance.  They’re appropriate and also over-the-top.

What Khan does best is dresses.  He does them knee-length, cocktail length and ankle length, and he does them fitted to the body, draped asymmetrically like saris, and flowing like kaftans.  He keeps the silhouettes simple and then drenches them in intense, all-over embellishments.  It’s in these embellishments (threadwork, ostrich feathers, metallic filligree, beading, gilding, embroidery) that he excels.  Restraint is not an option; the ornament is essential to the garment.

For her last appearance on “Oprah” Michelle Obama, accompanied by her husband, wore a sleeveless, printed, patchwork-style, silk, georgette dress by London-based designer Duro Olowu.  The dress seemed to embody all the divergent indentities we associate with Michelle and expect her to effortlessly embody.  It was: dressy, relaxed, sassy, traditional, ethnic, afro-centric, chic, bold, and crafty.

Olowu has a knack for making clothing that are bright and beautiful but also incredibly street-wise.  Dries van Noten was doing this for a while, but then retreated back into severe tones and slumpy profiles.  And Xuly Bet does something like this too, but his pieces lack a sense of polish.  Olowu does separates and men’s clothes too but it’s his dresses that are really outstanding.  They’re like very modern kimonos, lavish, lyrical, and rigorously structured, but for an entirely liberated figure.