Images That Sell

Abstract

As the forty-fourth president of the United States was sworn into office in January 2009, not all eyes were on Barack Obama. The media anxiously awaited Michelle Obama’s appearance in her inaugural outfit and ballgown. Much of the media and the nation’s attention has focused on Michelle’s attire and how she has been “imaged” in photographs in her early days in the White House in very traditional mother roles in the kitchen, and waiting for Sasha and Malia to arrive home from school. While some might criticize this media attention as overshadowing Michelle’s education and potential for leadership within the White House, or discount it as a shameless plug for brands like J. Crew, the image of Michelle Obama contributes to a long history of images of black women who have shaped beauty culture. While the fashion and beauty industries seem to be solely about consumerism, beauty culture has powerful implications for social, political, and cultural history.1

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