Modern Beauty Trends: In: the Obama Portraits | Out: Kim Kardashian’s Book Club

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

In: the Obama Portraits | Out: Kim Kardashian’s Book Club

The official portraits of the Obamas are unveiled. Meanwhile, the Kennedy family continues to inspire art.
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“I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.” —Henry Rollins

the Obama Portraits

Amateur Art Critics

Even after presidents leave office, they still have a few traditional matters to attend to. The biggest may be their libraries, but there’s also the matter of their portraits. There are two: The first hangs in the White House and is typically more traditional; the second hangs in the National Portrait Gallery and is often slightly more casual. For Barack Obama, the gallery commissioned New York–based artist Kehinde Wiley to paint Barack and Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald to paint Michelle (notably, both are African-American artists). The modern portraits were unveiled yesterday, with the Obamas in attendance. Twitter went wild (though, suddenly, members of the alt-right decided to magically become amateur art critics in an attempt to rip the artworks, but, frankly, whatever). President Obama is depicted sitting against a lush background of foliage, while the former first lady is shown perched in Sherald’s more minimalist style (and, in keeping with Michelle’s tradition of supporting smaller, American fashion labels, she’s wearing a gown from Milly). Now we just have to wait for the unveiling of the Obamas’s White House portraits. You know, the ones that will hang in the home currently occupied by Donald Trump.

Movies About the Kennedys

Movies About the Bushes

Keeping on the subject of artworks inspired by first families, suddenly everyone in Hollywood wants to make movies based on the Kennedys. We already have the Natalie Portman–starring Jackie in our catalog, but even more are on the way. Ansel Elgort has been tapped to star in Mayday 109, a film that will detail John F. Kennedy’s heroics in the Navy during World War II. Chappaquiddick, a film about Ted Kennedy’s infamous 1969 car accident, with Jason Clark and Rooney Mara, is scheduled for release later this year. Now, Elisabeth Moss has signed on to star in A Letter From Rosemary Kennedy, a biopic about perhaps the most tragic of the Kennedys. JFK’s “secret” sister was kept out of the public eye and underwent an unsuccessful lobotomy in 1941. The project will be helmed by Our Souls at Night director Ritesh Barna. Moss, by the way, is replacing Emma Stone, who had been attached to the project. Of course, it’s not just fictional portrayals of Kennedys making their way to the big screen. Actual Kennedy cousin Patrick Schwarzenegger is making his leading-man debut later this year, in teen romance Midnight Son. It only makes sense for a family so often portrayed by movie stars to actually make one too.

Being Lazy

Kim Kardashian’s Book Club

Last week, Oprah announced the first new addition to her famed book club in more than a year. Her selection was An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones, and undoubtedly at least one person you know is busy reading it right now. Though, maybe it made you wonder about the state of other celebrity books clubs. Like, say, the one Kim Kardashian announced last year with a boost from Chrissy Teigen. Kardashian picked Embraced by the Light, by Betty J. Eadie, as her first selection, and then… Well, not much happened after that. Kardashian released footage of the club’s first meeting on her app but admitted additional meetings “never took off…because we were lazy." Relatable, we suppose. At least we have Oprah to pick up the slack.

Miles Richie

@MilesRichie

You know Nicole Richie and Sofia Richie (not mention father Lionel). Turns out they have a brother, and he’s officially a model, after making his runway debut for Philipp Plein.