WASHINGTON — They were putting on the ritz last night at the White House as President Obama and First Lady Michelle hosted their first state dinner.
The affair, honoring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, featured dishes from an award-winning chef, a performance by Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson — and guests elegantly dressed in colorful saris and evening gowns.
PHOTOS: WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER
Mayor Bloomberg was on hand with girlfriend Diana Taylor, along with Steven Spielberg; Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel, the brother of presidential chief of staff Rahm; and a slew of other bigwigs who made the exclusive cut of those invited to hobnob in a massive white tent on the South Lawn.
They included prominent Americans of Indian descent, such as CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and “The Sixth Sense” director M. Night Shyamalan.
In all, 338 guests attended, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, actress Alfre Woodard and Oprah pal Gayle King.
Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson, of the Big Apple eatery Aquavit, was brought in to help whip up the mostly vegetarian meal, in accordance with the dietary practices of Singh, a Sikh.
The first lady wore a sleeveless, silver-sequined, full-length gown custom made for her by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan.
The menu featured simple ingredients, including spices and arugula from the White House garden.
The evening came complete with a wardrobe malfunction — Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) saw his cummerbund drop to the floor as he and his wife posed for photographers on their way into the event.