By Aysha Ibtasam

Call it coincidence or keen planning but the match was perfect since Mrs. Obama opted for a gown designed by an Indian-Muslim designer, Naeem Khan, for the very first White House state dinner, which was held in the honor of the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Mrs. Obama is known to adhere to American designers of different ethnicity when it comes to her wardrobe.

For special occasions she chooses designers, which are up and coming, to boost their careers further and give them a solid platform.

The meteoric rise of Jason Wu is unforgettable when she wore the one-shouldered ivory dress for the first dance on the night of the inauguration ball. I admire Mrs. Obama’s awareness in choosing pieces by American designers who are under the radar but deserve attention and spotlight, nonetheless.

The golden strapless confection chosen by Mrs. Obama was a total surprise for Naeem Khan who was unaware that his dress would be picked among many other designers who contributed for the same occasion.

The beautiful strapless golden dress was adorned with sterling silver-plated appliqués and hugged Mrs. Obama’s figure as if it was made on her. Though the designer confirmed never to have met her or even fitted her and worked with Mrs. Obama’s measurements solely. Now that’s talent and skill right there!

The silhouette is very modern very simple and chic explains Khan about the dress designed exclusively for the First Lady, but the fabric is totally handmade. It’s chiffon but the paillettes on it are sterling silver which are hand sewn in various sizes.

This is something the maharajas and royal families in India used to use for most of their clothing. Each paillette was made by hand in sterling silver or gold. These ones were sterling-silver plated.

Mrs. Obama completed the look by a matching flowy shawl, gold drop earrings (the one of a kind handmade rose cut pear shaped amber and tourmaline earrings are by Bochic- the earrings were made by 40 people in India over the course of three weeks) and stack of gold bangles.

As South Asian American woman we know how important bangles are and the important part they play in adorning us. With this key element, Mrs. Obama chose stacks of thin bangles to go with her dangling earrings.

Also read: First Lady Michelle Obama Wears Naeem Khan Gown to State Dinner

Now about the designer, Naeem Khan, who is he really? The 50-year-old New York-based designer, who launched his eponymous fashion house six years ago, has created va va voom red carpet moments for celebrities like Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez as indicated one source.

After the buzz Mrs. Obama created for Mr. Khan, he was the most googled person in America. Mr. Khan was born in India and raised under the watchful eyes of his father and grandfather, who designed clothes for the royalties of India. Mr. Khan from a very young age had the privilege and exposure he needed to learn beautiful techniques of fabric weaving, embroidery (mirror work, hand embroidery) and other intricate detailing, which enhances a garment.

In his teen, Mr.Khan moved to the states and apprenticed at the Halston (renowned fashion design house) who he met through his father, which further polished his already acquired skill of intricate detailing and a sharp eye for luxury.

Mr. Khan launched his eponymous collection in 2003 and showed his side of creativity by injecting influences of region he comes from (India) with a mix of contemporary (notice, how I stayed away from the word ‘fusion’, since this word has lost it’s luster and is only a cliché now).

The experience for designing a gown for the First Lady was a unique one for Mr. Khan since what Mrs. Obama wears will be watched by the world. However, Mr. Khan is not new to stage a spotlight, he is known to design for the divas like, Beyounce, Operah, Jennifer Lopez, socialite and royalties such as Queen Noor of Jordan.

It’s great for a designer like Khan to combine the simplicity he learned at Halston and link it with the over the top glamour of bollywood mish mosh. He infuses the two and does his own magic to make a piece look very tasteful.

Khan’s state of residence is New York and Miami, he enjoys entertaining guest with his wife and children. He is a great host who pays attention to every detail and makes a guest feel right at home with a special drink, which he hands out as soon as the guest arrives.

Since Mrs. Obama introduced Khan to the world, he has appeared on ‘Larry King Live’, and hosted many interviews from his Miami home. Little did Mr. Khan know the word of mouth designer would be a spotlight hero.