Yahoo Lifestyle Michelle Obama: 'The Fashion Industry Is Hard Work'
Michelle Obama has been an advocate for education since day 1 of her husband's Presidency, and now she's turning her focus to the fashion industry.
America's First Lady hosted a day of workshops and networking for 150 students at the White House, where she made it clear from the onset that the fashion industry is "hard work" despite its glamorous image.
"People too often think the fashion industry is all about catwalks and red carpets," Obama said. "The truth is that the clothes you see in the magazine covers are really just the finished product in what is a very long, very complicated and very difficult process, as I've come to learn working with many designers."
Special guests Jason Wu, Lela Rose, Zac Posen and Anna Wintour were also in attendance at the event, with Wintour highlighting fashion's ability to inspire social change.
"Now nurturing and fashion are not two words you might expect to go together - fashion is often dismissed as anything but - but I beg to differ," said Wintour, citing the industry's support of causes such as fighting world hunger and raising awareness of breast cancer.
Obama echoed the sentiment, adding that fashion was about "so much more than just a pretty pair of pumps or the perfect hemline."
"For so many people across the country it is a calling, it is a career and it's a way they feed their families."
The First Lady then pointed out that Americans spent $350 billion last year on clothing and shoes, a sum that keeps 1.4 million people employed across the country (so Meryl Streep raised a very good point in The Devil Wears Prada).
She then bought up the story of Sara Blakely, who successfully marketed the now famous Spanx brand after numerous knockbacks (and FYI, Obama loves the line).
"I want these stories to show you that there's no magic to being successful in fashion or anything else," the first lady told her students.
So there you go folks - don't expect the fashion industry to be a walk in the park, but it can certainly be rewarding.
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