Beyonce serenades as first lady glows in gown designed by 26-year-old

Check out the video after the break as Beyonce did the honors of singing the Obamas’ first inaugural dance. She sang the Etta James classic “At Last,” while the new first couple moved around the dance floor.

The fashion industry has anxiously looked forward to the election of President Obama for months, embracing his wife as an emblem and ambassador of modern style. First lady Michelle Obama who wears clothes from young designers as well as mainstream American retailers, celebrated her husband’s inauguration Tuesday night wearing a white chiffon, one-shoulder gown covered in fluffy appliques and beading that will now become part of fashion history. The gathered-skirt gown,designed by not well known (outside the fashion industry) 26-year-old Jason Wu, was surprising for its reserve given Michelle Obama’s love of jewel tones and sleek silhouettes. The gown’s slight train swirled pleasingly and her shoulder-sweeping earrings picked up the gown’s sparkle as she and President Barack Obama danced the evening’s first dance at the Neighborhood Ball at Washington’s Convention Center. The gown will be donated to the Smithsonian, according to tradition, the first lady’s spokeswoman said.
Earlier in the day, Michelle Obama won applause from style-watchers for the sparkling yellow sheath dress with matching coat by Cuban-born American designer Isabel Toledo that she wore to the swearing-in and parade. Video after the break: