Her hair was likely one of the first things you noticed about Michelle Obama’s presence when she strode onstage to greet her husband and presidential candidate, Barack Obama, after the momentous first debate at the University of Mississippi late last month.

She sported a layered pageboy, parted on the side, with soft bangs that looked a bit windblown, an elegant and modern look befitting a woman in such a bright spotlight. 

The look represented a grand departure from the days when Michelle Obama’s tresses always seemed to be, um, in distress. She used to sport a 1980s bouffant-look, pushed up from the back. Now, her hair has been transformed, the softened style showcasing the angles of her face and highlighting her striking eyes and smile.

To whom does she thank for this slick look? Johnny Wright, left, popular Chicago stylist at Frederic Fekkai, who has worked on celebrities such as Anita Baker, Vivica A. Fox and Selita Ebanks.

Wright reportedly began working with Michelle Obama in about February 2007, when he was booked for a magazine shoot. When Michelle made a splash in August at the Democratic National Convention, Wright said in an interview that he was nervous about the assignment. But her soft, layered pageboy was a success.

He styles her hair using a flat iron and curling it under. He also uses a ceramic curling iron to flip her hair out at the ends - a nod to Jackie Kennedy’s famous style. Wright said he doesn’t believe people in the public eye should flaunt too many hairstyles.

To keep Obama’s hair moisturized, Wright uses Fekkai’s shea butter conditioner, glossing cream and Fekkai coif anti-frizz crème.