Obama acknowledged in conversation with Parker that she knew no matter what she wanted the focus of her time in the White House to be, attention would be paid to her clothes. Given that, she and her team, including stylist Meredith Koop, decided to use their platform to celebrate newer and less-established designers who otherwise wouldn’t get the same level of exposure.

“You can change their lives, which is one of the reasons why we chose Jason Wu for my inaugural gown,” Obama said, adding that she made an extra effort to recognize work from a diverse range of brands and labels. “There are a whole lot of people out here who are trying to make it—young women and immigrants and black folk.” What good luck that Michelle Obama was there to literally and figuratively light the way.