Season 1 winner Jay McCarroll says of his burlap cocktail-length dress, "We need to live within our means and get back to basics."

But for his spring 2007 collection, Jay designed this citrusy gown and this metallic gown. Either one could be an elegant choice for Michelle Obama!

Season 1 finalist Austin Scarlett created this washed burlap strapless gown.

Here's a more formal choice, from Austin Scarlett's line, Kenneth Pool.

Season 2 semifinalist Kara Janx made a dress "about patriotism and change, with a pop culture spirit."

But can you picture Michelle Obama in one of Kara's famous kimonos? The gold trim adds a more glamorous touch.

Malan Breton of Season 3 cut the stars out of the flag and used them to highlight his dress.

But a more simple, regal shape from his 2009 spring collection seems more fitting for a First Lady.

Mychael Knight, Season 3 semifinalist, created a "youthful and sexy" gown. "She’s becoming the first lady, not an old lady!"

Mychael's designs are so youthful and so sexy (think: leather bikinis) that the only appropriate gown to be found was this one from an old episode of Project Runway. Still, Ms. Obama could rock this.

Alison Kelly of Season 3 says she "thought back to the Great Depression and remembered Coco Chanel’s dropped waist silhouette" when she dreamed up this black gown.

But what if she took this top from her line, Dahl by Alison Kelly, and lengthened it into a dress? It has a quiet yet impactful "wow" factor. And Michelle Obama has great shoulders.

LOL. This is from the lovable Chris March, Season 4. Due to dire financial straits, "The first lady will have to resort to wearing a barrel. Of course, hers will be glamorous."

Checking out Chris March's site, it was tough to find anything Michelle Obama-appropriate. This was the best I could do. It's very "after the revolution," no?

Rami Kashou of Season 4 used draping, of course. The stripes are awfully distracting, though.

Could Michelle Obama wear a Rami Kashou divine golden goddess number instead?

Last, but not least: Season 5 winner Leanne Marshall. Her gown features a dramatic collar and "a very full, pocketed sweeping skirt of 50 horizontally paneled potato sacks." Not bad, but…

This beautiful dress from Leanne's final collection would be much, much better.

The Ball Gown Challenge [The Daily Beast]

Related: Jay McCarroll
Austin Scarlett
Kara Janx
Mychael Knight
Dahl By Alison Kelly
Chris March
Rami Kashou
Leanimal

The Good:
Nom nom Mariska!
Dear Malan Breton, I love you, your maniacal laugh, and your insane suit. Xo.
Can't help it: Love that shade of blue on Tala Ashe's dress.
Tim Gunn: Then, now, always.

The Bad:
Pocket gay Alec Mapa is clearly not afraid of wearing white (or cream, whatevs) after Labor Day.
Um, yeah: Same goes for TV host Graham Norton.
Did someone forget to remind Loretta Devine that she's an icon?! Why is she dressed so shabby?!

The Ugly:
I don't care how out, loud and proud he is: Alan Cumming should know better than to dress like the Unabomber.

[Images via FilmMagic.]

• Valentino on his final collection, showing tomorrow in Paris: "It's a happy collection. It's not a collection with tears in between." Right, because then it would be a bipolar collection, and at 12 minutes or so that's a lot for any audience to take. [WWD, sub req'd]
  
• And in other last-Valentino-show-ever news, the designer included a portrait of himself in the invitation to tomorrow's show and also posed for pictures with every one of the seamstresses who helped create the collection so they could each have a keepsake of him. Aw? [Fashion Week Daily]
  
• Volvo created a new ad that for release in Switzerland [Wait, Switzerland is a big enough market to warrant its very own ads? Okay. -Moe] that shows its newest hatchback model being surrounded by Karl-look-a-likes snapping its photo. The real Karl: not amused! "They think I should be flattered, perhaps. It's not the chicest car I am promoting — without knowing I did it." Snap. [WWD, 3rd item]

• Abercrombie and Fitch's new underwear line Gilly Hicks: sells "underwear, not lingerie," with products that are "more boyish than boudoir," and it fancies itself as the anti-Victoria's Secret. [WWD, sub req'd]
• St. John CEO Glenn McMahon on his outlook for the upcoming year: "[E]verybody is very nervous about 2008." Now there's a feel-good attitude we can get behind! [WWD, sub req'd]
• Ellen Pompeo: "I love to aspire to be on the worst-dressed list!" [Fashion Week Daily]
• ELLE UK appoints Chloe Sevigny as "style adviser." Oy. [Guardian]
• Project Runway alum Malan Breton: still designing! [Chic Report]
• Oh Jesus, why is Madonna doing commercials for Sunsilk hair care products? Because there's a recession on and that $100 million LiveNation contract might not be enough to scrape by? [Sassybella]
• 15-year old Russian designer Kira Plastinina on her target market: "[P]retty much girls like me. They're 14 to 25 years old. They're active, they're — I don't know, cool. Like normal teenage girls, I guess." Suddenly we feel depressed. [WWD, sub req'd]
• Fashion line Chikara was created specifically for women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer. Suddenly, we feel somewhat redeemed. [WWD, sub req'd]

• Laura Bennett — everyone's favorite Bad Mommy — is showing as part of the Met Life Charlie Brown-inspired fashion show. I anticipate she'll try to make Peppermint Patty go all femme and, oh, I don't know, put her in a black dress that hits at mid-calf and has a plunging v-neck. And then — wait for it! — she'll make a giant ruffly collar for Snoopy and get all pissy and defensive when the ruffles collapse when she transports the garment from the space where it was created to the show venue. Also, $10 says she blames Jeffrey Sebellia for pulling the football out from under Charlie Brown. September 7 at 6 pm, Bryant Park.

• Alison Kelly — OMG how much did you love Alison? Like, so much, right? I still cry into my pillow at night that she was sent home during the garbage challenge for making her, in Tim Gunn's word, Zaftig model look, well, particularly doughy. She was so wronged in that episode: Vincent's model couldn't even walk in her dress! And it was ugly! Sure, Alison topped off her design with a Minnie Mouse bow made of human hair, but still... Anyway, I'm super excited to see what Alison has in store for us at Fashion Week. We think she has a very young and fresh and pretty eye. Apparently her collection is inspired by some sort of bullshit about like, China in the 1920's, blah blah blah. But I am 100% confident that whatever she does will be pretty and lovely and modern. If you want to attempt to crash, she'll be showing on September 6 at 12:30 pm at the Prince George Ballroom on 25th St.
• Malan Breton — Oh Malan, Malan, Malan. That voice! That hair! That laugh! I'm sorry that Tara Connor didn't appreciate your tree trunk dress. But look what happened to her. I love you, you crazy bastard. September 12 at 1 pm, 110 W.19th St.
• Keith Michael — Listen Keith, I always thought you were an arrogant prick. But I don't think you were a cheater. And I'm sad that you got called as such. Because you are mad talented. In fact, I think had you not been wrongly booted off, you would have made it to the final three. That dress you made out of, what, curtains? Fucking gorgeous. I'm a little worried, however, that showing in notoriously douchey nightclub Cain is not going to do much to help erase your bad-boy persona, but I'm optimistic that the clothes will be good. Please, for the love of Andrae Gonzalo, let the clothes be good. September 12 at 8:30 pm, 544 W. 27th St.

Project Runway Designers At Fashion Week [Blogging Project Runway]