If you can't dress yourself properly, in a flattering way for your own figure, then how are you going to design for the current First Lady and NOT have her look ridiculous every day?

Maria Pinto, a woman who makes hideous clothes here in Chicago, was certain her salvation rested in the White House, where the First Clothes Horse has the absolute worst taste of any occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in recent memory.

All despite her “fashion icon” status, as given unto her, by herself.

Well, interestingly enough, so few people buy into this “fashion icon” meme regarding the current First Lady that even with all the attention (or is that ridicule) Pinto’s received for designing many of the eye sores Mrs. Utopia parades around in, Pinto’s shop is closing.

And many in Chicago are saying “good riddance”.

This is one of those weird moments when we actually know some of the people involved in a national story and can tell you someone’s getting exactly what she deserved.

Pinto is a rude, crude, and nasty individual — with a diva attitude undeserved considering her lack of design or construction skills.  Every year Chicago hosts Fashion Focus, a smaller scale “fashion week” that Mayor Daley started four years or so ago.  It’s a time when all Chicago designers come to the forefront, mix, mingle, and showcase the creative vitality of this city.

Let’s just say the main reason Maria Pinto’s shop is closing is neither the economy nor her lack of talent:  it’s the way she treats people.

Even in this economy, local Chicago designers who are kind, friendly, and treat people well are thriving — because despite having to cut back on extravagant purchases, loyal clients are still going back to designers and shop keepers who earned loyal followings.

It is no wonder Maria Pinto and Michelle Obama collaborated together on so  many heinous ensembles.  They are two peas in a big, ugly, belted, paired-with-a-ridiculous-too-tight-sweater, pod.

Pinto’s work will forever live in infamy as the “Black Widow Spider” dress Mrs. Utopia wore on Election Night 2008 — a leftover Halloween costume apparently substituted for a more appropriate, patriotic, America-inspired dress a more experienced designer with better judgment and sense of history would have encouraged the future First Lady to wear.

Instead of her spider costume.

All she did was take the arms off and, bam, she had an Election Night dress she "was proud of for the first time in her adult life"

One of Pinto's most bizarre business decisions was to manufacture thousands of child-size knockoffs of "The Election Night Dress" for small boys, thinking "they just love Michelle Obama and want to dress up like her for all future Halloweens". Apparently, there's an abandoned warehouse in the Loop with crates of these things still lying around.

No tears are being shed for Maria Pinto today, rest assured.