US first lady Dr. Jill Biden’s & Vice President Kamala Harris's inauguration day look were statement-making
What you wear speaks of who you are and especially if you are in the public eye, this becomes amplified. The day of the inauguration often ends up in museums, becoming pieces of historic significance and outfits worn there always become a style statement for people watching.
Over the past few months people have been asking the question why does fashion matter? Fashion matters for many reasons but at the heart of it, it is because fashion stands for something. What you wear speaks of who you are and especially if you are in the public eye, this becomes amplified. The day of the inauguration often ends up in museums, becoming pieces of historic significance and outfits worn there always become a style statement for people watching.
Breaking all the barriers, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the US' first woman, first Indian and Black American Vice President. She is now the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in American government. She was sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court. Harris' oath-taking ceremony was bookended by a performance from Jennifer Lopez.
Talking about their inauguration outfits, a First Lady's inauguration outfit sets the tone for what the White House will stand for during her tenure. The designer, the colour and the footwear, all of it matters. Dr. Jill Biden has been the Second Lady of America for eight years. She is an educator and will continue teaching at Northern Virginia Community College, a first for a First Lady. Dr. Biden is not the only lady in the White House, as Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to be the Vice President of America. Harris also has her own unique personal style.
The First Lady in an ocean blue ensemble by Markarian, standing alongside President Joe Biden in his navy blue Ralph Lauren suit. Dr. Jill Biden has worn not one, but two statement-making jewel-tone coats. She also wore a purple coat designed by New York designer Jonathan Cohen. Dr. Biden's choice of designer and colour was a welcome surprise, a label even those in the fashion may not have heard of Markarian. Her tweed coat and matching dress featured a slight shimmer and velvet details. Markarian has its studio in New York, its clothes are always made in the city and designer Alexandra O'Neill's usual set of clients is much younger than Biden. The colour of this ensemble, ocean blue, signifies unity and stability.
Take a look at her pictures:
Talking of Kamala Harris in her purple coat by Christopher John Rogers, her coat was clean-cut, with no added embellishments its strong colour made an impact, no-frills were needed. Christopher John Rogers is seen as one of the emerging stars of American fashion. In the US, the colour Purple is traditionally seen as a symbol of bipartisanship, a mix of red and blue, colours of the Republican and Democratic parties respectively. Harris's choice in colour was deliberate, many see it as a tribute to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress alongside being the colour of women's suffrage movement.
Take a look at her pictures here:
Both women's outfits worked so well together, yet each stood for something very different. These women are saying America's future is bright and that the democratic nation is proud of both its traditions and its diversities.
(With IANS Inputs)