"I was in Times Square when he was elected and it was like just such a beautiful emotion. I had the sensation of flying," Guillermo Mariotto, who designed the kaftan for Roman fashion house Gattinoni, said.

"He's definitely a fashion icon. He's brand new, he's a black president, and he's so handsome."

Mariotto sent an American model down the catwalk draped in the ankle-length, long-sleeved kaftan made of natural fibre. It featured a solemn-faced Obama in red and beige across its entire length and the word "Change" written across the bottom.

Neapolitan designer Fausto Sarli on Saturday dedicated the jewel of his collection – a pinkish gown studded with crystals and lavish swirls – to US First Lady Michelle Obama, saying it represented a light in the desert.