Former First Lady Michelle Obama to Publish THE LOOK With Crown Publishing Group
The Crown Publishing Group today announced THE LOOK, a new book from Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States, to be published November 4, 2025.
The book will be released by Crown in hardcover and ebook formats, with an audiobook edition, read by the author, to be simultaneously issued by Penguin Random House Audio.
Beautifully illustrated with more than 200 photographs, including never-before-published images, THE LOOK is a stunning journey through Michelle Obama’s style evolution, in her own words for the first time. In this celebration of style, from the moment she entered the public eye during her husband’s U.S. Senate campaign through her time as the first Black First Lady and today as one of this country’s most influential figures, Michelle Obama shares how she utilizes the beauty and intrigue of fashion to draw attention to her message.
Featuring the voices of Meredith Koop, Obama’s trusted stylist, as well as her makeup artist Carl Ray, hairstylists Yene Damtew and Njeri Radway, and many of the designers who have dressed Obama for notable events, THE LOOK brings readers behind the scenes not only to reveal how her most memorable looks came together, but also to tell a powerful story about how we present ourselves.
Obama’s intimate stories illuminate how her approach to dressing has evolved throughout her life—from the colorful sheath dresses, cardigans, and brooches she wore during her time as First Lady to the bold suits, denim, and braids of her post–White House life and all the active looks and beautiful gowns in between.
In THE LOOK, Michelle Obama explores the joy and the purpose of fashion and beauty and how—when wielded with grace and care—they can uplift and affirm the values one holds most dear. Confidence, she concludes, cannot be put on. But when you’re wearing something that’s intentional or beloved, clothing can make you feel like the best version of yourself. Mrs. Obama writes:
“I’m grateful that I’ve reached the stage in my life where I feel empowered and free to do what I want and wear what I want. . . . During our years in the White House, people were constantly commenting on my looks and dissecting my clothing choices. That’s part of why I decided to write this book now: it’s time for me to reclaim my story—what fashion and beauty mean to me—in my own words. ”
Farah Jasmine Griffin, the William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature and African American Studies and Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University, writes in her foreword to the book:
“She stood before us as a leader, giving us the charge to fight for a better and more just world, assigning us the task of getting to work, reminding us that the price of citizenship in a democracy is that we each ‘do something.’ The look, like the woman, was bold, powerful, forward-looking, visionary, and empowering for everyone who dares to believe in the possibility of better tomorrows.”
The book cover image was also released and can be accessed in high resolution at this link. Information about the book is available to consumers at www.michelleobamabooks.com.
Michelle Obama announced the news on her social media channels this morning.
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Mrs. Obama’s memoir, BECOMING, has inspired multiple generations of readers worldwide and received widespread critical acclaim. Among other accolades, the book was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, USA Today’s #1 Book of the Year, an Oprah Book Club selection, and an NAACP Image Award winner. The audiobook edition, read by the author, received a GRAMMY Award for Best Spoken Word Album. Since its publication on November 13, 2018, BECOMING has been translated into 50 languages and sold more than 18 million units across formats worldwide, including more than 10 million units of the U.S. edition alone. Mrs. Obama’s follow-up to BECOMING, THE LIGHT WE CARRY: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, was a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller and one of Time’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2022. Since its release on November 15, 2022, THE LIGHT WE CARRY has been translated into 40 languages and sold more than 2.5 million units across all formats worldwide, including more than 1.9 million units across all formats of the U.S. edition.