White House Holiday Decor 2015, in 14 Festive Photos

Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a preview of this year's White House holiday decor and unveiled the four designers she chose to outfit three public rooms on the ground floor. All hailing from the fashion world, Carolina Herrera, Duro Olowu, and duo Carol Lim and Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony and Kenzo were tasked with decorating the China Room, Vermeil Room, and ground floor library, respectively. These designers, whose clothing the First Lady has all worn before, have very distinct aesthetics and likewise chose to introduce different details to a consistent landscape of trees, presents, and general holiday sparkle.

As New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman notes, Herrera outfitted the China Room in navy plaid and "Kailua blue" silk bows, a nod to the new White House china set created by Michelle Obama. Meanwhile, Olowu introduced "African fabric, Italian miniatures, and antique French dolls", and Leon and Lim brought in "manuscript pages, stylized paper bows, and literary quotations."

The White House's holiday cheer can also be seen in the Red and Blue Rooms (both state parlors), various hallways, as well as the State Dining Room, where there's an official White House Gingerbread House—which weighs nearly 500 pounds and features details like miniature versions of first dogs Bo and Sunny. Outside, an installation off the East Colonnade of the White House features 56 "snow people," each representing a U.S. state or territory. Take a closer look, below.

∙ Michelle Obama Picks 4 Designers for White House's Holiday Makeover [NY Times]
∙ Revisiting the White House's Presidential China Sets, in Ascending Order of Flamboyance [Curbed]
∙ Michelle Obama Modernizes a Fusty White House Dining Room [Curbed]