Hijo de Newark Gana Premio Por Ser Diseñadorde La Primera Dama Michelle Obama

A Newark native, Rodriguez was raised in the city’s Ironbound section and in Kearny.

Rodriguez designed the memorable black and red dress worn by first lady Michelle Obama in Chicago on election night in 2008. The dress recently went on display for the first time at the National Archives to represent her signature style in history. Earlier, Rodriguez designed Carolyn Bessette’s wedding dress for her 1996 marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr.

The New York City-based Cooper-Hewitt museum announced this year’s recipients of the design awards Thursday. The museum said Rodriguez “redefined American style for the past two decades, playing a singular role in global fashion through his structured and elegantly minimal designs.” He has also been named one of the nation’s most influential Hispanics by Time magazine.

This year’s winners also include brand designers Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar for lifetime achievement; architect Witold Rybczynski for design mind; online marketplace Etsy for corporate and institutional achievement; Angela Brooks and Lawrence Scarpa for architecture; San Francisco design studio Office for communication design; Aaron Koblin of San Francisco for interaction design; Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors for interior design; Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture for landscape design; and San Francisco design firm LUNAR for product design.

Museum Director Caroline Baumann said this year marks the 15th year of honoring the nation’s top designers.

“I am delighted to welcome this new class of extraordinary designers, each of whom represent the very best in their discipline and demonstrate design’s power to affect the quality of our life, community, economy and environment,” she said in announcing the awards.

The first lady serves as honorary patron of the National Design Awards, which were launched at the White House in 2000. A jury of design leaders and educators reviews nominations and selects winners based on their excellence, innovation and public impact.