Last April, Oscar de la Renta made some comments about Michelle Obama that many (including me) found very bitchy and snotty. Speaking to WWD, de la Renta basically claimed that it the First Lady’s duty to wear established America designers and established fashion houses because “American fashion right now is struggling.” He said that wearing young, unknown designers (at the time) like Jason Wu was not “the right message at this particular point….I don’t object to the fact that Mrs. Obama is wearing J. Crew to whatever because the diversity of America is what makes this country great. But there are a lot of great designers out there. I think it’s wrong to go in one direction only.” He also complained about what Michelle wore to meet Queen Elizabeth, saying “You don’t…go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.’”

So it got intense. And de la Renta got criticized for being so critical of Michelle, and many thought de la Renta was just mad because he had dressed several First Ladies for major events and Michelle had chosen not to wear his stuff for anything, and was instead going with new designers with a fresher, less stuffy approach. He had to backtrack a little, and he later said “I don’t object to the fact that Mrs. Obama is wearing J. Crew to whatever because the diversity of America is what makes this country great. But there are a lot of great designers out there. I think it’s wrong to go in one direction only.” Well guess what? He’s still miffed.

First ladies are “an American phenomenon,” Oscar de Renta told our colleague Robin Givhan. No other country, he said, obsesses about the spouse of its leader or imbues her with such profound meaning. The only reason the French are particularly interested in Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is because she was a model and girlfriend to rock stars, not because they consider her a symbol of their country.

“This country has always been very different about that,” he said. “And it’s a learning process. He was elected president. She wasn’t. But at the same time, there’s an expectation about her that perhaps she was not even ready for.”

So far the only de la Renta that the current first lady has worn has been Moises de la Renta, the designer’s son. That’s in keeping with her tradition of wearing clothes by less-established designers. And that, of course, makes a father proud. But still …

“I’d love to dress Mrs. Obama,” he said.

The designer said he was struck by her style at the Governors Ball in 2009 when she wore a sparkling pewter Peter Soronen gown and Tom Binns necklace. “She looked so fantastic,” he says.

Then he laughs. Kinda sorta. “I was dying of jealousy.”

[From The Washington Post]

I think he still sounds bitchy. Am I being too sensitive this morning? Perhaps. But seriously, “It’s a learning process. He was elected president. She wasn’t. But at the same time, there’s an expectation about her that perhaps she was not even ready for.” Bitch, right? It sounds like de la Renta thinks that every First Lady should wear his clothes because that’s just what is expected of them. If they don’t wear his clothes, they “weren’t ready” for the position. Why doesn’t it occur to him that Michelle Obama is just a young First Lady who wants to celebrate new, young designers as well as affordable ready-to-wear?