Michelle Obama evening dress sparks race row over 'nude' description [View All]

[FarCenter]

From the moment she stepped into the limelight, Michelle Obama was feted as the 'First Lady of Fashion'.

By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor
Published: 10:00PM BST 19 May 2010

One dress, however, has sent ripples through the fashion world for rather different reasons. Mrs Obama's choice of gown for a State dinner has sparked a debate about race and the delicate matter of whether one can call a dress colour 'nude' when it really depends on the wearer.

The dress in question, which Mrs Obama wore to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House, was described by the designer as a "sterling-silver sequin, abstract floral, nude strapless gown".

That simple description has now caused a stir. "We talk of nude now and there is no one colour. It's politically incorrect," said Gale Epstein, founder of the US lingerie brand Hanky Panky. "There is a wide range for skin tone colours. Human skins tones are a whole colour palette unto themselves." Miss Epstein prefers to use a range of names, from "light chai" to "espresso", to describe her wares.

The Associated Press news agency was compelled to revise its reference to the dress colour from "flesh" to "champagne" after one fashion editor objected, asking: "Whose flesh? Not hers."

Pamella Roland, the eveningwear designer, also weighed into the debate, saying: "Nudes are a group of elegant shades, but there are a lot of specific shades. I can't describe a single specific colour for nude."

The row must be baffling for the designer in question - Naeem Khan, who was born and raised in Mumbai and now works in the US. He declined to comment yesterday but previously spoke of his delight at being chosen to make the dress for Mrs Obama.

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