Donna Ricco is yet another designer dragged into the spotlight by First Lady Michelle Obama then wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Prior to the election Michelle Obama wore Ricco's Sleeveless Banded Waist Short Dress when she appeared as co-host on the TV Program "The View". Needless to say, this dress worn by Obama which cost $148 off the rack sold out overnight at the White House/Black Market Boutiques.
picture from http://www.donnaricco.comWhat's so special about this dress?
The dress is pretty simple, made from a stretch cotton sateen in a black and white print. There are two black bands between the bustline and waistline. It has a square back and a scooped neckline. It is a sleeveless dress with straps wide enough to fit bra straps. As I said, a pretty simple dress made special by the fact that it is worn by Michelle Obama. Though this is not a completely fair statement as Ricco's designs provide a timeless elegance designed with all body shapes in mind. Her dresses are well made from quality fabric.
The only accessory Michelle wore with this dress was a flower brooch on the left strap of the dress. If you wanted to accessorize this dress you can go for either black and white accessories. Resist the urge to go for pearls and try something different like a spatial choker necklace in a clear iridescent colour which changes depending on the lighting.
Who is Donna Ricco?
Ricco taught herself to sew as a teenager and has been in the business for 20 years. She has had formal training in Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and joined the fashion department at Mount Mary College before moving to New York to pursue her dream of becoming an american fashion designer.
In an interview with TODAY's Meredith Vieira Friday in New York, Donna Ricco commented "I'm very happy. I'm very surprised. I had no idea she would be wearing this dress. But it's sort of a natural happening for me, because I've been designing dresses a long time. We ship a lot of dresses to the stores, and I'm happy that Michelle chose this dress to wear on 'The View.' "
Although Donna Ricco had been producing dresses for twenty years, it took one wear from upcoming fashion diva Michelle Obama to send her sales through the roof and have her designs acknowledged by the american fashion media and the public.
While not available in England, Ricco's designs are stocked in Ireland, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, and the United States. It was most interesting to learn that Ricco's designs were stocked in Barbados not only because I am from the Caribbean myself but also because Barbados is a small island in the Caribbean with a population of 282 thousand. Who would have thought?
