Obama Designer Out of Business

Her dresses appeared on noted fashion plate Michelle Obama over and over again, yet Chicago's Maria Pinto just couldn't stay in business. This winter the Chicago designer put a going-out-of-business sign on the door of her Chicago boutique. The dressmaker's failure left many in the fashion world puzzled: How come one of the first lady's favorites wasn't able to make a go of it? Another victim of the recession, Pinto tells The New York Times that her expansion to New York department stores didn't go as planned.