New Delhi: At an event organised ahead of the inauguration of the Barack Obama Presidential Centre, set to open on 19 June, the former US president, along with the former first lady Michelle Obama, addressed the public. Michelle attended the event, wearing a skirt honouring her mother’s legacy. The skirt is her “favourite portrait” of her mother and is a statement piece picked out by her stylist, Meredith Koop.
Michelle donned a calf-length pencil skirt bearing a sepia portrait of her mother as a young woman, based on look no. 29 from the Scandinavian brand Acne Studios’ Fall 2026 collection.
Michelle’s tribute to her mother, Marian Robinson, left Barack sobbing.
“He’s really messed up. I am going to give him some time,” she said.
Seeing the former president teary-eyed, Michelle said, “He didn’t know it existed until a few minutes ago, and I’ve had a few weeks to settle down.”
Remembering Marian’s legacy, Michelle talked about her mother’s love and admiration for her son-in-law.
“She was so proud of her son-in-law and the man that he is, and has been for our family. Always dreaming, probably way too big but always pulling it off,” she added.
Remembering Marian
Marian Lois Shields Robinson died in 2024 at the age of 86. The upcoming presidential centre in Chicago will have an exhibition dedicated in her honour. Marian is said to have played a very important role during Barack’s term as the president, and even moved in with the family at the commencement of the term. On her death, the Obamas paid a tribute on Medium, stating, “We needed her. The girls needed her. And she ended up being our rock through it all.”
Born in 1937, Marian was the fourth of seven children. Her father was a carpenter and a painter, and her mother was a nurse aid. She spent most of her life in her beloved Chicago, where she met her husband, Fraser and raised their children.
The Barack Obama Presidential Centre will also showcase the Obamas’ journey to the White House and beyond. The centre is also a museum, library, and education project.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)