The MObama Effect Hits Fashion Week

Michelle Obama's dress at the Democratic National Convention became an instant sensation. In part because she looked beautiful in it -- but also because it seemed to symbolize what she stands for as a First Lady. She was a picture of physical fitness, it underscored her support of homegrown talent (its designer hails from Detroit) -- and it illustrated her interest in mixing both high and low fashion (her heels were from J. Crew).

No surprise here: the dress, which was custom made for the First Lady by Tracy Reese, has already resulted in a massive boost in sales for the designer. "It's been a crazy, crazy week," Reese told The Daily Beast backstage at her Spring/ Summer 2013 fashion show on Sunday afternoon in New York. "Our website and store has been on fire. Sales have definitely been effected, so that's a great thing." Reese says she plans to release a version of Obama's dress for under $500, the style of which is still undecided. But: would she dress Ann Romney? "If she wanted me to dress her, of course!" Reese says. "I'm an equal opportunity designer."

Reese is a practical designer. Unlike other designers who say they are influenced by obscure Renaissance paintings or classical texts, she says that her inspiration from this season came from the fabrics offered at the Paris fabric collections. "There were a lot of really cool juxtapositions, technical fabrics but also a lot of organic fabrics -- neons, brights, but also a lot of neutrals. And I wanted to play with those juxtapositions," she said. Her spring collection featured layered sportswear, which Reese said was for a woman who is "relaxed and confident in her own skin." Michelle Obama, take note.