Baltimore High Schoolers Attend First-Ever White House Fashion Workshop
WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Catwalks, fashion shoots and top designers. What's the future of the nation's fashion industry? First Lady Michelle Obama weighed in on that question at the first-ever White House fashion workshop for high schoolers.
Gigi Barnett has more.
First Lady Michelle Obama is a longtime champion of fashion designers. A style icon herself, she says the future of the industry rests in the hands of young fashion students.
Wearing a dress designed by high school students, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the White House's first-ever fashion education workshop. More than 150 fashion and design students packed the East Room, looking for tips on how to break into the business one day.
Mrs. Obama's advice: "The most important thing you've got to do is work and work and work and work and work. That's it. It's hard work. Sorry."
To drive that message home, the first lady spent time with the students in invitation-only workshops at the White House, judging their talents up close.
She also invited some of her fashion friends, including Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour and top designer Diane Von Frustenberg.
"Fashion is about so much more than just a pretty pair of pumps or the perfect hemline. For so many people across the country, it is a calling, it is a career and it is a way they feed their families," the first lady said.
Fashion students from Baltimore Design School received an invitation to the White House. They're just one group of many from Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia already thinking about finding top mentors and launching their careers.
"I think it will be helpful to meet these professional fashion designers and by talking to them find out how they think about fashion design," said Edison Estes, Baltimore Design School student.
"Not a lot of people get to go to the White House and to get the opportunity we get," said Maci Thomas, Baltimore Design School student.
The five-hour event featured several workshops on design, magazine editing and entrepreneurship.
At least 15 students from the Baltimore Design School met the first lady Wednesday.
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