Last week, to acknowledge the growing value and importance of the fashion industry, first lady Michelle Obama hosted a Fashion Education Workshop at the White House.

This was a part of her Reach Higher initiative to inspire students in America to complete their education past high school. The event was geared toward introducing the next generation of designers and creative individuals to the delicate art of style.

The first lady has always been deeply involved in the world of fashion. Her personal style and her willingness to use her role to promote lesser-known names have been applauded time and time again. She’s boosted designers into the retail and consumer spotlight, thus creating jobs and opportunities for more style to blossom and improving the industry as a whole.

Until last week, Obama simply wore the clothes of her favorite designers. But now, she’s influenced young fashion hopefuls and pointed them in the right direction with advice from the best of the best in the fashion industry.

I can’t say enough good things about this event.

Obama has been noted for her style since her husband’s first inauguration in 2008, and it’s incredible to see the recognition she’s built up since then and how she’s given back to the fashion community. She even wore a dress by a Fashion Institute of Technology student the day of the workshop to show her support for newcomers breaking into the business.

Women’s Wear Daily reported that a group of 150 students were invited to spend the day attending seminars that embraced the importance of fashion as an industry for the future. The students heard from major designers including Narciso Rodriguez, Sara Blakely of Spanx, Zac Posen, Eva Chen of Lucky and Diane von Furstenberg. These keynote speakers emphasized different aspects of the business, including construction, wearable technology, journalism and entrepreneurship.

“So fashion is a lot more than just a pretty pair of heels or a nice hemline. It’s a passion and a career and a livelihood for so many people across the country,” Obama said in her opening remarks at the event after being introduced by Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

The first lady was very forthcoming with the students about the unglamorous side of the fashion industry. She spoke to the hard work they have ahead of them — it’s not all about red carpets and sleek runway shows.

But, of course, there’s an upside to the business. Americans spend $350 billion a year on clothing and accessories, according to Obama and MarketLine — a tool that provides research reports on companies, industries and countries across the global market — and there are plenty of jobs to be had, with 1.4 million Americans employed in fashion and retail.

Until the first lady hosted this event, the most she did to improve the fashion industry was support her favorite designers and push them further into fame. Now, she influences the brands she wears by bringing attention to them and as a result, her fans and people who want to emulate her personal sense of style will buy those clothes and other pieces from the designers she loves.

It’s appropriate that she discusses the hardships of breaking into such a difficult industry. It’s similar to what she and her husband did to become so successful and well known. Although fashion and politics are two different realms, both industries are demanding and the road to the top isn’t always pretty. 

The White House is certainly no stranger to powerful people, and this group of students and influencers prove that Obama is using her Reach Higher initiative to educate students and provide them with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The guest list from the Fashion Education Workshop reads like a New York Fashion Week guest list, and now Obama’s passed those contacts on to students breaking into the industry.

By putting the fashion industry front and center in one of the most important places in America, she’s positively influencing the students, which in turn is great for business, art and the overall interface of the fashion industry. Fashion’s major players will become better known with her endorsements and students will experience greater successes.

Published on October 13, 2014 at 12:01 am