Michelle Obama becomes second US First Lady on Vogue cover

Michelle Obama appears on the cover of the March issue of the fashion magazine Vogue, ending a period of relative seclusion for the new First Lady and feeding the huge public appetite for details of life inside the Obama White House

Michelle Obama becomes second US First Lady on Vogue cover

The cover photograph and a series of portraits that illustrate an eight-page feature inside the magazine were taken at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, where the Obamas lived in the days before they moved into the White House on January 20. The First Lady, whose was not paid by the magazine, appears wearing a magenta silk sheath dress by Jason Wu, who designed her inauguration ball gown.

Much of the interview centres on the Obamas' two daughters, Malia (10) and Sasha (7) and the First Lady's self-described role as "Mum in Chief".

"I'm going to try to take them to school every morning, as much as I can," she says. "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."

Michelle Obama's mother, Marion Robinson, has moved into the White House to help look after Malia and Sasha. Of her daughter's ascension to First Lady u2013 the family grew up in a working-class neighbourhood in Chicago's South Side u2013 Robinson says she feels bemused. "I laugh now because I always taught Michelle to step out of her comfort zone in life. But I never thought she was going to step this far out of that zone."

Michelle Obama, who usually dresses her children u2013 and often herself u2013 in off-the-peg clothes from high street stores such as J Crew, also talks about her fashion statement. "I love clothes. First and foremost, I wear what I love. That's what women have to focus on: what makes them happy and what makes them feel comfortable and beautiful. If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion."

Seventeen African American women have appeared on the cover of American Vogue before Michelle Obama, including Naomi Campbell, Oprah Winfrey and Halle Berry. One black man has been given the honour: LeBron James, the basketball player.

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