NEW DELHI: Fifteen underprivileged Indian girls who accompanied Michelle Obama to the National Handloom and Handicrafts Museum in the Capital on Monday got swooshy Nike backpacks with White House emblems, but logoless Indian craftspeople got a resounding endorsement from the First Lady of style too.

In fact, Mrs Obama is carrying a handcrafted piece from every state of India back home, judging from the items that were packed and despatched during her two-hour visit.

The Indian girls’ post-Diwali Nike goodie bags had goldplated bracelets and a box of chocolates signed by US President Barack Obama, colouring pens, notebooks and a jigsaw puzzle of the First Dog Bo standing in front of the White House.

However, India may figure in the Obamas’ Christmas gifts for daughters Malia and Sasha and the rest of their family and friends, for Mrs Obama toured every inch of the Charles Correa-designed museum for peeks into Indian rural and tribal life, and crafts.

She then went on to endorse every part of this country via her purchases, from Kashmir to Kutch, Nagaland to Tamil Nadu. Known for her eclectic mix ‘n’ match style and eye for the unusual, Mrs Obama selected a fine navy blue Kashmiri pashmina shawl, a traditional black-and-white Naga sarong and lacquered wooden toys from Andhra to postcards with Madhubani motifs, embroidered bags from Gujarat, Rajasthani bedcovers and more.

Nothing escaped her keen eye. “She was very impressed that they were all handmade and picked something from every stall,” recounted Ruchira Ghosh, the museum’s director, who gave her a tour of the gallery.

“The First Lady was so impressed with the variety of the exhibits that she joked about how she wished she had got more money and more time!” Not that lack of ready cash stemmed her enthusiasm, as bills can always be settled later when you’re the FLOTUS (First Lady of The United States).

Interested in all the artisans’ skills, Mrs Obama was especially impressed by four-year-old Kavita who was making a doll with her little hands.

“She praised my daughter and immediately picked 15 dolls and yoga thailas (pouches) from our stall,” beamed her father Sumer Bhora from Kutch in Gujarat. Added Pamarilina from Nagaland, “She was choosing the traditional Naga necklace, but when she noticed what I was wearing she asked for a similar one...”

Away from the prying eyes of the media, Mrs Obama warmed to the informal atmosphere, engaging the girls from three NGOs, Nanhi Kali, Nanhi Chaaon and Hope Foundation, in animated conversation. The children sang, danced and asked questions about her hobbies and dreams, and she replied with candour and humour.