The devil wears Prada

Contrary to what Hollywood would have you believe, the devil doesn’t solely manifest himself in aging Vogue editors. Sometimes, a Congo rebel leader will do just as well. But one thing is clear: Nothing comes between Satan and his fashion.

General Laurent Nkunda’s hostile forces control the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern border with Rwanda when they’re not busy raping, killing and forcing a quarter of a million Congolese villagers from their homes.

Ostensibly to negotiate with a United Nations envoy, Nkunda emerged from the bush this past weekend. For the eyes of the world, he put aside his military fatigues and donned what the UK-based Times described as “a smart suit and fine Italian shoes.”

Perhaps the outfit wouldn’t have lived up to Vogue standards, but it was certainly close. This begs the question: What are we as an audience supposed to take away from public figures’ appearances?

First, life on the national stage is an act. While it’s easy to see through Nkunda’s makeover because the difference between the sophisticated man at peace conferences and the warlord is so drastic, we shouldn’t believe Nkunda is the only public figure trying to speak through his clothing.

There’s a little devil in American politicians, too.   

Although their image retooling may be more subtle – the transition between power-hungry partisan to well-dressed statesman, for example) – clothing is the key to successful image-branding here in the USA as well.

Sarah Palin had something to hide. While she bragged about her caribou-hunting and child-rearing skills to audiences across America, one couldn’t help but notice the $150,000 wardrobe upgrade the Republican Party gave her so she would look less like a Carhartt-wearing country woman and more like someone who knew all the NAFTA countries.  

Preparing to step into the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama have a similarly difficult transition to make. Political chatter continually questions what Michelle will wear and whether her outfits will mean she’s striving to be the next Jackie Kennedy or a practical PTA mom who avoids the limelight. With fashion, even the well-dressed Michelle Obama sometimes misses the mark. Who can forget that awful spiderwoman dress Michelle debuted at Grant Park for Barack’s acceptance speech?

All successful leaders have this in common: a simple, articulate notion of what their outfits should convey. That’s key. Those who can’t nail down a style that enhances their image generally don’t remain in the public eye for long.

Sen. Hillary Clinton has struggled for years to find her own image. First she was ridiculed for the headbands, then the changing hairstyles and finally the orange pantsuit.

And while this fashion hodgepodge didn’t help her get to the White House, it allowed her to give audiences something authentic: a daily reflection of her real self.

As for the rest of our leaders, what they wear might be important to them. For us, the record they’re trying to cover up underneath the designer wear is tres chic.