First Lady Michelle Obama selected an elegant, Indian-inspired frock crafted by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan for The Obama White House’s first state dinner, honoring the fashion-forward continent. The guests of honor at the dinner were the Prime Minister Prime Minister Manmohan Singhand his wife, Gursharan Kaur, making Mrs. Obama’s choice of the Indian-born, U.S.-based designer quite appropriate.

Naeem was among the first designers chosen to submit pieces for The Oval Office’s leading lady. Khan described the two dresses he submitted as “very modern, but based on Indian fabrication,” the designer explained in an interview with The Washington Examiner this week.

“The sari is a big player in the whole game and the colors,” Khan said.

The fashionisto was glad to guests at last night’s State Dinner embracing a “super chic” modernized version of the traditional sari, which Khan features extensively in his Spring and Resort collections.

“Just to twist a little bit of the old way of dressing into the modern is the classy way of doing Indian. I wish a lot of people will do that.”