Michelle Obama avoided talking about fashion during her time in the White House

Speaking at a People Inc. event in New York, Obama said: "I don't know if you all noticed, but over the eight years I was in the White House, I did not talk at all about fashion.

"You all did."

The 61-year-old author and former lawyer explained that she wanted the US people to know her on a "substantive level" rather than through her fashion choices.

Michelle said: "I wanted the country to get to know me from a substantive level.

"I wanted to be able to tell my full story before I talked about the shoes and the gowns, and I wanted my initiatives to speak for me and who I was.

"But I was very aware, and aware of the role that fashion has played in my life, in my role as First Lady, and beyond, so I always knew I was going to talk about it when the time was right.

"And I feel like after two books, a podcast, and being away from my defined role for a while, I think that the world knows me from a substantive perspective."

Obama revealed that The Look explains the role fashion played as she represented the US during her husband's stint in the White House from 2009 to 2017.

She said: "This book, in on to being more than just about fashion and style, it is about the journey, the behind-the-scenes experience of what it was like getting dressed to represent the nation and the world every day.

"It's also a homage to the designers who worked tirelessly on my behalf without any fanfare, and to my team, a team of people who I couldn't show up every day and do the work I did without them, and they're like family to me."

The Look includes tales from Michelle's stylist Meredith Koop and makeup artist Carl Ray among others as they dressed her for notable events.

Obama said: "I wanted people to know when they came into the White House, most of them were babies themselves, in their early 20s, just starting out.

"And they performed without any kind of recognition because we weren't talking about fashion. So they had to do that work not looking to be recognised, and that was really important.

"If I wasn't talking about it, they couldn't talk about it, but I want them to get their shine."