Tyra Banks and the Michelle Obama drama

August 5, 9:00 PMChicago Style ExaminerJennifer Rifkin

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Tyra Banks is the most ridiculous TV personality I have ever had the sick pleasure of watching rant, rave, and give incredibly  bad advice to the general public. She scares me with her intense belief that having worked the runways gives her an accelerated and intelligent view on life.  What is even more frightening? Harper's Bazaar, an acclaimed and highly tauted style publication, fell into the cess pool that is Bank’s repuation and put her on the COVER of their latest publication.

Even worse than that, she is playing the role of possible future First Lady Michelle Obama.  Are they serious?!! Could that be more of an insult to the elegant educated Chicago native who would never be caught dead trying to teach young girls how to have “sexy eyes.” Michelle Obama, who graduated from Princeton and received her Law Degree at Harvard being portrayed by a woman whose recent talk show topics reflect on “how to get your boyfriend to marry you” and “what to do about your summertime body odor”! Kind of a travesty.

You may have read that local fashion designer Maria Pinto is one of Obama’s favorite outfitters.  With feminine tailoring and bright punches of color, Pinto is the perfect choice for this successful lawyer on the political trail.  Obama stays looking fresh and fit with pops of vibrant color that set her apart from the crowd and demand attention.  

Pinto’s most recent collection was “Inspired by Richard Serra’s “Torqued Ellipses,” Pinto plays with elliptical seaming and the contrast of positive/negative spacing.” Sounds a bit fluffed up and over-intellectual, but what could be better for one of Chicago’s most successful lawyers! Seriously though, the pieces are distinctive and ethereal in shape and feel.  The scarves for fall are strewn with fabric petals and pintucked like ancient petticoats draped stylishly across the shoulders.  Pick up her pieces locally at Saks and Barneys, and look for a Maria Pinto boutique to hit the streets of Chicago in the next year.

As for Tyra; I am sure after this blip of rational on her radar she will go right back to the tacky and terrible on her talk show every day.  On the next season of America’s Next Top Model, she will continue to impress us with her atrocious hairpieces and even more obnoxious career advice.  Remember the time on ANTM when she pretended to have a seizure on the floor to teach the girls about “acting”? That was classic, and SO helpful.

What was Bazaar thinking using her to portray such a lovely and successful woman? How will Michelle Obama feel when she flips through and see’s Bank’s lounging in a fake presidential bed wearing a Harvard sweatshirt? I’d like to assume there will be some bile in her throat on that one…but dealt with poise, as always.