'The Heart' Director Malia Obama Makes A 'Plaid' Fashion Statement To Promote New Film

Malia Obama is in her fashion girl era as she adds the title of "director" to her resume!

The 26-year-old attended the 50th annual Deauville American Film Festival to promote her short film "The Heart" and made a bold fashion statement while she was there. 

Malia Obama's new project is her directorial debut, and she ensured her presence was felt on the red carpet.

The 26-year-old showed up with all the glam in an outfit designed by the legendary Vivienne Westwood. The ensemble consisted of an off-shoulder red, white, and gray corset top and a high-low blue and white skirt that showed off her black knee-high boots.

Malia, who wore her braids out, admitted to not knowing much about fashion in her interview, adding, "It's cool; I'm happy to be wearing it." She did not forget to give Westwood praise for the look, calling her a "queen" for the unique design.

Per Page Six, Malia also expressed her excitement about appearing on the festival's red carpet for the first time, acknowledging that she was a "little bit terrified, but mostly just excited."

More photos of her red carpet debut can be seen here.

Malia made her red carpet debut at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah earlier this year dressed to the nines. She opted for a gray coat over a pinstriped button-down top, black pants, a thin gray scarf wrapped around her neck, and burgundy boots.

According to Malia, the short film is about a man who grieves the loss of his mother as he fulfills her last request. She added:

"The film is about lost objects, lonely people, forgiveness, and regret. But I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in those things."

The 26-year-old expressed her optimism that the movie will help viewers and audience feel a bit less lonely, adding: "or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are."

The first-time director also ditched her famous last name in the movie credits and went by "Malia Ann" instead. 

After successfully working with Donald Glover on the Amazon Prime Video series "Swarm," Malia embarked on a new project by writing a short film.

The Blast noted that the project was reportedly billed to be released under Glover's new production company, "Gilga."

Glover then detailed some of his early conversations with Malia while stressing the significance of opportunity and the consequences of producing a mediocre piece. According to him, she had only one chance, saying:

"You're Obama's daughter. So if you make a bad film, it will follow you around."

Glover's creative partner at the Gilga company, Fam Udeorji, added that they prioritized allowing Malia to fully unleash her creative process, even if it took time.

Despite the Harvard graduate's significant influence, Udeorji stated that Gilga's objective is about representation and diverse perspectives.

Malia marked her entry into the film world by co-writing the mindblowing "Girl Bye" episode on the "Swarm" series. Her hard work reverberated across the industry. Glover and Janine Nabers were very captivated by her incredible talent, as they declared:

"Some of her pitches were wild as hell, and they were just so good and so funny. She's an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the table… She's really really dedicated to her craft."

The episode revolved around Dre, a young woman focused on a fictional R&B celebrity who resembles Beyonce. Nabers described "Girl Bye" as "one of the wildest episodes," adding that it was going to "surprise a lot of people. It's pretty dope. I'm proud of it."

The thriller series also features an impressive cast of Dominique Fishback, Chloe Bailey, and singer Billie Eilish in her acting debut as cult leader Eva.

Malia found love in the arms of Dawit Eklund, the son of a former state department officer. The Blast shared that Eklund is an Ethiopian music producer, who is nine years older than Malia. His 72-year-old father, Jon Eklund, is a retired state department officer.

Jon has reportedly worked at several United States embassies in Africa with his 66-year-old Ethiopian wife, Yeshi. Dawit also co-founded the record label 1432 R, which is based in Washington, D.C., and specializes in making and producing Ethiopian music.

An article in 2016 praised the label's music for "seamlessly brings together house music grooves, the stutter of U.K. garage, an uneasy electronic ambiance, and — perhaps most notably — Ethiopian folk music."

Malia Obama is enjoying the best of both worlds, and it looks good on her!