First Lady in Red
Look no further than Laura Bush’s inaugural ball gown for signs that the Republicans are back.
The soon-to-be first lady will appear at the Jan. 20 balls in a floor-sweeping, figure-hugging Republican-red gown encrusted with crystal-beaded Chantilly lace. Red figures prominently in the inaugural wardrobe of five suits and three evening gowns, all designed by Dallas couturier Michael Faircloth, who is largely unknown outside of that city.
“She is quite becoming in red,” said the aptly named Faircloth, who has dressed Bush for nearly seven years. “She doesn’t wear a great deal of it because of the typical associations with Republican red,” he said. She’ll carry a specially designed Judith Leiber red satin clutch. As the first lady of Texas, he said, Bush wore subtler tones of red, such as cranberry and burgundy.
“Red is my favorite color to work with, and she’s very pretty in red,” said Faircloth, who now works with her through his couture salon inside the Lilly Dodson boutique in Dallas.
“We did some research on what past first ladies have worn,” Faircloth said. “There isn’t a recent red first lady inaugural gown.” Previous Republican inaugurations have seen Barbara Bush in blue velvet and Nancy Reagan in sparkly white. Neither woman became a fashion trendsetter.
The very practical Bush is not likely to embrace that role, but her 19-year-old twins, Jenna and Barbara, could fill those stylish shoes. Still, their mother and her designer are fully aware that her inaugural clothes are part of history.
On Thursday, the gown arrived at a Hollywood beading shop that was responsible for the sparkle on three other inaugural gowns, including Nancy Reagan’s Galanos gown, as well as Michael Jackson’s famous white-beaded glove and socks, said Stella Ruata, owner of Artistic Handbeading of Hollywood. (Her 90-year-old mother, Aurora Duenas, beaded the famous ruby shoes in “The Wizard of Oz.”) Three seamstresses are expected to work more than 100 hours to finish the complex beading on Bush’s dress.
For the swearing-in ceremony, Bush will wear a peacock-blue wool boucle suit trimmed with espresso-brown saddle stitching along with a coordinating coat. Bush, a brunet with fair skin, has lately taken to wearing bolder jewel tones--especially for the inaugural ceremonies.
As she dashes from limousines to balls on inaugural night, Bush will have a red floor-length coat lined in sky blue, also in the same slim silhouette as her dress.
Faircloth and Bush decided to make a few concessions to comfort during the festivities. So she nixed high heels.
“She decided not to wear stiletto heels. She never
will,” said Faircloth, who vainly tried coaxing her into something high and sleek. “I think legs are more becoming in a higher heel. But she goes for comfort first.”
Nor will she don cowboy boots for the Black Tie and Boots Texas Ball. She’s going for sophistication with Stuart Weitzman dyed-to-match, sensible pumps for her champagne lace gown embroidered with dangling paillettes.
It’s that sense of practicality that may in the end endear Bush to millions of women who are already intensely studying her style. Through Bush, Faircloth hopes that “America will have another role model to inspire them in dress rather than the current waifs who are 20 pounds underweight.”
Faircloth said he and Bush discussed her potential as a style leader. “I told her: ‘America will be looking to you to set trends.’ She said, ‘No, Michael, they will be looking to you.’ ”
Bush has already been hazed for wearing an unattractive purple and black oversized plaid skirt suit to meet Hillary Rodham Clinton. “Thank heaven I did not do that one,” said Faircloth, who intends to continue dressing her for high-profile appearances. While the nation often conjures up images of a Texas full of spirited women in too-bright colors with too-big hair and jewels, Bush’s future appearances may help reverse stereotypical notions.
“I think people will see a more tame and sophisticated side of Texas through President and Mrs. Bush,” Faircloth said. The twins may take up some of the style slack. They’ve commissioned native Dallasite Lela Rose to create ensembles for the swearing-in. Jenna plans to wear a checkerboard duster coat, and Barbara has a houndstooth dress topped by a powder-pink leather jacket.
“We were not trying to push the envelope too far by any means,” said Rose, who also vetoed fur and plunging necklines for the size 6 sisters. “I’ve known the girls since they were about 7 or 8,” said Rose. “They’re very easy to dress.”
But Faircloth may have a tough customer in his most famous client. “Mrs. Bush doesn’t tremendously enjoy shopping or being fussed over,” he said. Though he will attend the inauguration, he won’t function as her stylist: “Probably the president will zip her up.”
