White House holiday: ‘Timeless’ but modern

The holiday theme is “A Timeless Tradition,” but the White House reached out to some unconventional sources for inspiration with this year’s décor: a few of Michelle Obama’s favorite fashion designers.

Three of the holiday rooms at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. were designed by famed fashion gurus, including Carolina Herrera, Duro Olowu, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon. All of the designers have outfitted the first lady before.

{mosads}Herrera designed and decorated the White House’s China Room, which features evergreen and eucalyptus garlands, a navy plaid-wrapped tree and red gift boxes.

In remarks to military families in the East Room on Wednesday at the first viewing of the seasonal adornments, Obama called the library — decorated by Leon and Carol Lim of Opening Ceremony and KENZO — a “holiday forest” of novels and manuscripts.

A diorama of miniature faux shell Christmas trees greets guests in the Vermeil Room, designed by Olowu. A pair of 8-foot trees are draped with vintage fabrics and ribbons.

Other highlights of this year’s decked-out White House include life-size replicas of the first family’s dogs, Bo and Sunny, made out of almost 55,000 feet of yarn, a tree paying tribute to America’s service members complete with iPads to send digital messages to troops, and a nearly 500-pound gingerbread house that contains 150 pounds of dark chocolate along with 25 pounds of icing.

According to the White House, the holiday theme “reflects long-held traditions cherished across America, and commemorates extraordinary moments that shaped the country during the past two centuries.”

“It’s easy to get caught up in all the holiday whirlwind — making the list, and the errands, and the travel plans — that we sometimes forget what the holiday season is all about,” Obama told the crowd, which included young children, on Wednesday.

But, she said, “This season is about so much more. It’s about giving more than we receive. It’s about serving others. It’s about toys, too. But it’s about finding ways to lift up our communities every day in every season.”

More than 68,000 visitors are expected to pass through the White House during the 2015 holiday season.