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Michelle Obama Wore Donna Karan, Fittingly, to the Fund-raiser at Karan’s Apartment

Here’s one way to get Michelle Obama to wear your clothes, designers: Host a fund-raiser in your penthouse and invite a plethora of Democratic wealthies who are also famous in a cool New York way. The FLOTUS was in town yesterday to attend such a fancy affair at Donna Karan’s Upper West Side apartment, and wore, politely, Donna Karan, which looked smashing on her. At the fund-raiser Vogue and Calvin Klein held in honor of Michelle in June of 2008, the First Lady famously wore Isabel Toledo, not Calvin Klein, though she ended up wearing Calvin publicly after that event. Michelle topped her Donna Karan dress last night with a camel Donna Karan coat, paired with silver heels.

PETA, which loves to hate on Karan, showed up to protest the designer’s use of fur, and were stationed by police across Central Park West and a block south of her building. Designers including Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Georgina Chapman, Nanette Lepore, and Isaac Mizrahi also attended and went inside Karan’s house to mingle with Michelle and Jill Biden. The 85 donors in attendance each gave $10,000 for the privilege of having staff hold their bags and sweaters while they sandwiched themselves between Obama and Biden to exchange regards. Von Furstenberg had to leave before Michelle gave her speech to support Richard Blumenthal, who she hopes to be her future senator in Connecticut, where her graveyard-boasting Cloudwalk home is located. Russell Simmons also attended the event, but left twenty minutes before Michelle arrived to feed his yoga addiction:

He had thought about sticking around to chat to the First Lady about well-being initiatives in schools, a topic he’s raised with her before.

“It’s a little early to bug her about it again,” Simmons said, before heading off to attend to his own well-being.

“I’m going to yoga before I go anywhere … I can’t miss class tonight,” he said.

Anyway, after making some quick remarks at Karan’s, Michelle went with Jill to the St. James theater in Times Square, where donors had paid $100 to $2,500 to check out the First Lady and hear a special performance by Patti LaBelle, hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker. So Michelle really kept busy! All she missed was tea with fund-raising superstar Anna Wintour and a soccer match with some children on a lawn. Maybe yoga.

Michelle Obama’s Manhattan Moment [WWD]
Fashion big wigs wait to meet Michelle Obama [Page Six/NYP]

Michelle Obama Wore Donna Karan, Fittingly, to the Fund-raiser at Karan’s Apartment