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“A scintillating fashion biography.” —Kirkus Reviews



EVERYDAY ICON

Michelle Obama and the Power of Style



By Kate Betts



“With its fine mix of deconstruction and designer interviews, well-sourced research and sumptuous photos, Betts has created a book that is eye and brain candy alike.” —Publishers Weekly





“This book is about why style matters, and why in particular the style of the new American First Lady Michelle Obama matters,” says Kate Betts in the introduction to her new book, EVERYDAY ICON: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style (Clarkson Potter; on sale February 8, 2011). Betts, contributing editor to Time magazine—and one of the few people at the crossroads of politics and fashion—is the person to write a book about Michelle Obama’s emergence as a style icon and what it means for women, First Ladies, and the future of American style.



Michelle Obama’s every outfit and gesture—from her knack for mixing high fashion with affordable labels to her barefoot leap across the White House lawn—has incited scrutiny and sparked conversation. For good reason: as the first African American First Lady she is writing her own rules, establishing a new etiquette, and changing the definition of what it means to be a woman in America today. With her indelible style she changes mores and pronounces values. Her studied sophistication is trendsetting and inclusive. She embraces both style and substance.

EVERYDAY ICON covers more than just what Michelle Obama is wearing. As a Time writer and former editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar, Betts writes from the unique perspective of both a journalist and a fashion industry leader, providing the first real analysis of how Mrs. Obama has redefined American style.

EVERYDAY ICON is broken into the following chapters, all of which feature gorgeous color photography of Michelle, her fashion and accessories, and other First Ladies and style icons of the past:

* FIRST IMPRESSIONS: A chronicle of the world’s introduction to Michelle Obama and the development of her signature style, from her days on the campaign trail, to her early days in the White House
* STYLE VERSUS SUBSTANCE: A fascinating account of First Ladies throughout history and the impressions they made, including Grace Coolidge, Jackie Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Hillary Clinton
* THE DRESSMAKERS’ DETAILS: Insight from leading fashion designers—including interviews and original sketches—about their contributions in establishing Michelle in her new role as style icon
* THE EVERYDAY ICON: A look at Michelle’s growing confidence in her standout fashion decisions and their global reach, including “The Ten Commandments of First Lady Style”
* WELCOME TO THE WHITE HOUSE: The evolution of Michelle’s personal style, from Princeton to Chicago to Washington, and her down-to-earth choices for different functions
* ONLY CONNECT: The “new etiquette” for First Ladies and how Michelle connects with everyday Americans and beyond, by speaking an attainable style language
* FIND YOUR SPOT, FIND YOUR PLACE: Michelle Obama’s growing position on the global stage, as an African American, a woman, a First Lady, and an everyday style icon





KATE BETTS has been covering the world of style for twenty years, most recently as a contributing editor at Time and also as the editor of Time Style & Design. The youngest person ever to serve as editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar, she was also the fashion news director at Vogue and the Paris bureau chief of Women’s Wear Daily.

Betts was recently named one of the Top 10 fashion editors by Forbes, and she has appeared on network and cable television regularly since 1993, including shows such as Charlie Rose, The View, Today, Good Morning, America, CNBC’s Power Lunch, and NPR’s MarketPlace. She has done regular reporting for CNN, covering fashion shows in New York, Paris, and Milan, as well as the Academy Award shows in Los Angeles. A graduate of Princeton University, Betts resides in New York City with her husband, the writer Chip Brown, and their two children.



ABOUT THE BOOK

EVERYDAY ICON: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style

By Kate Betts

Clarkson Potter/Publishers

On Sale: February 8, 2011 • ISBN 978-0-307-59143-2 • Price: $35



For more information on the book and Kate Betts, please contact:

Jill Browning, Clarkson Potter Publicity, at 212-572-6182 or jibrowning@randomhouse.com.