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It's official: Michelle Obama is the first lady of American fashion, appearing on the cover of the March issue of Vogue. [gUD +
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Every first lady since Lou Hoover - save Bess Truman - has been featured in the high-fashion magazine, but Mrs. Obama is only the second to grace the cover. She appears wearing a magenta silk sheath dress by Jason Wu, who also designed her inaugural gown. pSQX
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Vogue's editor at large Andre Leon Talley called his interviews with Mrs. Obama ahead of US President Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony "one of the best experiences of my life." r
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"She's so accessible, natural and normal. There's nothing affected about her," he said. XP rnQJ
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Much of the eight-page feature inside is devoted to Mrs. Obama's self-described role as "mom in chief" to 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha. 7p'pz8n`X
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"I'm going to try to take them to school every morning, as much as I can," she said. "But there's also a measure of independence. And obviously there will be times I won't be able to drop them off at all. I like to be a presence in my kids' school. I want to know the teachers; I want to know the other parents." XC<'m{^(m
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Being Vogue, though, the conversation eventually turns to clothes. N:64Gko"K
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Mrs. Obama said she is aware of how her wardrobe is being scrutinized, but she makes no apologies for her choices - even the Election Night combination of ripped-from-the-runway, fashion-forward dress and plain-Jane cardigan. j/oc+ M^
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"I'm not going to pretend that I don't care about it," she said. "But I also have to be very practical. In the end, someone will always not like what you wear — people just have different tastes." )/!HI0TU
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She did choose outfits for the Vogue photos from labels she has worn before: Wu, who made her inaugural gown; Narcisco Rodriguez, the designer of that Election Night dress; and J. Crew, which she and her children have famously worn. ;K l'[~z
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Most cover models have their clothes chosen for them by Vogue, or at least editors work as advisers. Not this time. WllQM,h
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"She doesn't need any help. She loves fashion and knows what works for her," Talley said. "She's never had a conversation with me about, `What do you think?' or `How did this look?' And I'm glad for that."
