Michelle Obama Makes a Rare Red Carpet Appearance in a Safety Pin Versace Suit

Former First Lady Michelle Obama made a rare red carpet appearance in New York City and, to the surprise of no one, absolutely slayed.

On Thursday, during the Clooney Foundation for Justice's 2024 Albie Awards, the best-selling author and better half of former President Barack Obama wore a custom Atelier Versace suit adorned with sets of gold safety pins of various sizes running down the lapel.

The black suit set featured a double-breasted blazer and coordinating wide-leg black trousers. While it's arguably easy to assume the monochrome outfit was simple, the elegant suit also featured "sharp, silk lapels and soft shoulders," as Women's Wear Daily reported.

According to the Instagram account Check The Tag, the former first lady was styled by Meredith Koop, the visionary behind Obama's Democratic National Convention (DNC) look.

"Our big one," Koop captioned an Instagram post showcasing Obama's Monse look.

On the DNC stage, the Monse design felt like the power pantsuit of the future, thanks to the sleeveless cut and criss-cross neckline, which was made of notched lapels. The former First Lady has a long-standing connection to the label, or at least it's founders—Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia are both creative directors at Oscar de La Renta, an American brand Obama has been wearing for years.

During the this year's historic DNC, when Vice President Kamala Harris became the first Black woman and South Asian person to become the Democratic nominee for president, the former first lady spoke about the future, making her outfit choice all the more fitting.

“Our fate is in our hands,” Obama said at the time. “In 77 days, we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division, and smallness of the past. We have the power to marry our hope with our action.”

In a previous interview with Marie Claire, Obama spoke candidly about how she managed the intense media scrutiny and racist attacks her and her family faced as a result of her husband's political career.

"One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals," she explained at the time. "And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am."

In the same 2008 interview, Obama also dished about her favorite accessories (her husband and her two daughters, Malia and Sasha), her love of flats, and her personal style.

"You know, Barack has been in politics for a long time, and my style really hasn't changed since he started running for president," she said. "I don't have a stylist, but for special events, I work with designer Maria Pinto here in Chicago, who's not only a great designer but also a good friend." Oh, how things have changed.