Did a former First Lady shop Bella Hadid's closet at her Texas ranch? Because Michelle Obama lassoed her most cowgirl-coded look on record—and played with spring 2025 color trends—for her March 13 panel at the annual SXSW (South by Southwest) festival.
Obama skipped all her usual style codes for a casual conversation with her brother, National Association of Basketball Coaches executive director Craig Robinson, about their new podcast, IMO. She traded her leopard-spotted Theory blazers and Monse pantsuits for a Western matching set. Her longtime stylist, Meredith Koop, confirmed to Marie Claire the designer behind her boxy jacket with two rows of criss-crossing leather laces and coordinating high-rise pants is French label Rabanne.
The burnt-orange shade and lace details definitely could have belonged in Hadid's recent slate of rodeo queen outfits. They'd also pair nicely with a ten-gallon hat for front-row seats at Beyoncé's upcoming Cowboy Carter tour. But Mrs. Obama kept things from feeling too "Texas Hold 'Em" by balancing out her set with sleek black ankle boots, a plain black T-shirt, and delicate Kendra Scott jewelry. A boho-chic crown braid and long, cascading curls flowed over her shoulders and down her back.
Michelle Obama's SXSW matching set coordinates with one of the spring 2025 runways' favorite Pantone swatches. Designers from Miu Miu to Dries van Noten all but painted their collections in tangerine orange this season; so did Alberta Ferretti and Loewe. Obama's set is notably more yeehaw than those collections' takes on the color trend: Most sampled the fruity shade in the form of silk dresses and diaphanous skirts.
Saddling up to a Western matching set is Obama's way of method dressing for SXSW, an Austin institution since 1987. It's also another example of the former First Lady's adventurous style since the end of President Obama's administration. Mrs. Obama and stylist Meredith Koop approached the presidential years with a focus on championing American designers and accessible pieces any citizen tuning into the State of the Union could wear. (Most famously, she wore J.Crew cardigans at the White House.) Now as a best-selling author, voting rights advocate, and podcaster, she can have more fun with fashion—and embrace her luxury side.
Obama has attended talkshows wearing head-to-toe Bottega Veneta and hosted fireside chats in thigh-high Balenciaga boots. Serious moments, such as her appearances on Kamala Harris's presidential campaign trail, required more somber and straightforward suiting. Her vibrant SXSW matching set is both a return to form—Kendra Scott, the maker of her jewelry, is an Austin-based brand—and adventurous new terrain. We'll say yeehaw to that.
