Azzedine Alaïa hits out at Oscar de la Renta

The designers engage in a verbal war over cardi-gate.

The Michelle Obama fashion wagon rumbles on. Following on from comments a few weeks back by Oscar de la Renta, in response to the American First Lady's visit to the Queen, that "you can't wear a cardigan to Buckingham Palace", Azzedine Alaïa, the designer of the garment in question, has hit back with his own remarks to Women's Wear Daily. After praising Obama's "simple and elegant" style, he quipped, "It's not up to [de la Renta] to give her lessons. Michelle Obama is of her time, Oscar de la Renta is no longer."

De la Renta himself seems to have reneged slightly on his original spicy remark. Appearing on American TV show The View on Monday night, he said of Obama, "She's entitled to wear anything she wants to. I may have chosen my words badly, and I regret it." He made light of the affair, saying he was "not jealous - really jealous" that Obama has so far eschewed his designs.

The designer could not be reached to comment on his reaction on Alaïa's attack. But at least he's getting a good deal of free publicity out of Michelle Obama, even if he has yet to actually dress her.

See what else Michelle Obama wore during her visit to London

Picture: Michelle Obama wearing the infamous cardigan during her visit to Buckingham Palace