First lady wears McQueen to state dinner

NEW YORK (AP) — Michelle Obama chose a red Alexander McQueen gown with black details for the state dinner she and President Barack Obama were hosting tonight in honor of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

The gown seemed typical of Mrs. Obama’s atypical first-lady fashion sense: The gown featured an asymmetrical neckline and a petal-print silk organza fabric, and she wore a narrow wrap around her arms as she posed for photos in front of the White House.

The Alexander McQueen label is one of the most respected in style circles. McQueen committed suicide a year ago, but the brand has continued under the stewardship of his former assistant Sarah Burton, who, like McQueen, is a Londoner who shows her collections in Paris.