Hello, Beauties🌸 Today’s post, Happy Birthday to Effortless Chic Desirée Rogers.
By now, you know I look for opportunities to celebrate people — one of the best ways is birthdays. So June 16 is the birthday of Desirée Glapion Rogers, the accomplished Wellesley College and Harvard Business School graduate. Happy 60th Birthday Desirée🎈
The five-foot-ten-inch beauty, the former chief executive officer of Johnson Publishing Company overseeing Jet, Ebony, and Fashion Fair Cosmetics, started by Eunice Johnson, repositioned the media brands for the digital space. Unfortunately, the media assets were all sold in 2016.
Most of us learned of Desirée Rogers, the first African-American to serve as White House social secretary under Michelle Obama. The former Chicago business executive came under fire when two uninvited guests wormed their way into President Obama’s first state dinner on November 24, 2009.
In the typically ultra-conservative Washington, D.C., seeing a female politician like Desirée not afraid to be fashion-forward in 2009 was refreshing. We remember Ms. Rogers, not for the 350 events produced in her 14-month tenure as the White House Social Secretary but for the social climbing Salahi’s.
And that Comme des Garçons pale peach evening gown embellished with pearls. Effortless? Or was she outshining the first lady?
What was the complaint or problem at Obama’s first State Dinner? Did Desiree sit down and schmooze with the dignitaries? Should she have had her clipboard at the White House security gate to mind the guest list? What say you?
Desirée’s interesting ensemble choice is not as reserved as the First Lady’s dazzling silver-sequined cream-colored Naeem Khan gown for the Indian State Dinner. The designer’s first custom-made pattern was made for the first lady. Both ladies, Michelle and Desireé, shopped at Ikram, the high-end luxury Rush Street boutique in Chicago.
When she settled into the East Wing office in 2008, the social secretary was encouraged to tone it down. Her wardrobe included labels like Nina Ricci and Halston. We now know the Comme des Garćons dress became a political liability. She resigned three months later, on February 26, 2010
It’s worth noting that Desirée has one daughter, Victoria, from her marriage to John W. Rogers, founder of Ariel Capital Management. She moved to Chicago when she married Rogers. Desirée was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
A heavy hitter from the beginning, Desirée was the former director of Illinois Lottery and the vice president of corporate communications for Peoples Energy.
Ms. Rogers has a career that has made history in high-profile corporate positions. Last but not least, she is a survivor of breast cancer following her diagnosis in 2003.
Please share your thoughts on Desirée Rogers, effortlessly chic, or someone paving the road in conservative sectors.
As always, thank you for reading. Have a fabulous week.
