Images Of Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama And Lady Gaga At The Inauguration Of The US President

The inauguration of the President of the United States has long become a separate genre in fashion. The style of the country's top personalities has been closely watched since 1961, when John and Jacqueline Kennedy appeared in front of voters in luxurious outfits from Brooks Brothers and Oleg Cassini. In the absence of red carpet, which due to the coronavirus pandemic either was postponed until better times or went online, even more attention has been drawn to the inauguration. Moreover, in addition to political figures, this time she was visited by Hollywood stars. However, first things first.

Official part

In the suit of which brand Joe Biden will swear allegiance to the American people, the press wondered almost with more enthusiasm than the wedding dress designer Meghan Markle in 2018. A week before the inauguration, WWD journalists, citing their own sources, announced that Ralph Lauren would dress the newly-minted US president. "What better way for a man to wear clothes from an iconic American designer in an iconic American moment?" - they wrote. And they were right: Joe Biden came out in a black coat and a navy blue Ralph Lauren suit, which, according to the brand's team, became a symbol of "a return to etiquette and upholding the values of America."

Joe Biden was not alone in his choice: the husband of Kamala Vice President Harris Douglas Emhoff and former First Lady Hillary Clinton also appeared in the images of Ralph Lauren. For her, the American designer made a purple trouser suit, complemented by a cashmere coat and suede gloves.

Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama have relied on similar shades: purple, obtained by mixing blue (the color of the Democrats) and red (the color of the Republicans), denotes the unity of the people after four years of split (Joe Biden called for this in his first speech as president of the United States) … In addition, purple is one of the three official colors of the suffragist movement. Women's rights activist Emmeline Petick-Lawrence explained that it symbolized "the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragist," and the National Women's Party considered purple to be "loyalty, constancy of purpose and unshakable fortitude."

It is interesting that in the images of Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama, all things, with the exception of gloves, boats and a protective mask, were of the same shade. The vice president and former first lady used the services of Los Angeles-based designer Sergio Hudson. In addition to him, Harris worked on the appearance of a young brand Christopher John Rogers, as well as jewelry brands David Yurman, who made a brooch in the shape of the American flag, and Wilfredo Rosado, who designed a pearl necklace. It is no coincidence that pearls were here: it is a hallmark of the Alpha Kappa Alpha women's community at Howard University, which was once the vice president.

The images of Joe Biden's granddaughters also turned out to be monochrome: 27-year-old Naomi was in white, 22-year-old Finnegan - in sand, 20-year-old Maisie - in black, and 16-year-old Natalie - in pink. The Los Angeles Times has already suggested that the latter could become a new fashion icon. Although all eyes on this day were riveted mainly not on the granddaughters, but on the wife of the President-elect of the United States.

Jill Biden entrusted the design of the attire for the official part of the inauguration to the New York brand Markarian, founded three years ago and specializing in the creation of wedding dresses. If we consider that the debut exit in the status of the first lady of the state is more responsible than going to the altar, then the choice of Jill Biden is more than justified. The brand's team, led by designer Alexandra O'Neill, has made a tweed coat and a dress with a velvet collar and Swarovski crystals. The entire set, including gloves and pumps, was made in a blue shade typical for the Democratic Party and symbolizing trust, confidence and stability.

If the images of politicians, even at such a solemn moment as the inauguration, must correspond to the protocol dress code (not to be too open, magnificent and bright), then the star guests may not restrain their fashion impulses. So, Lady Gaga sang the US national anthem in the Schiaparelli Haute Couture outfit, designed by the creative director of the French brand Daniel Roseberry especially for the event. He complemented the set of a fitted black jacket and a fluffy red skirt with a large gilded brooch "Dove of Peace". “For me, as an American living in Paris, this ensemble is a love letter to the country I miss so much and to the performer whose artistry I have admired for so long,” the designer explained. Jennifer Lopez, who appeared in the Capitol after a colleague and sang "America The Beautiful",looked much less pretentious in a monochrome white Chanel look.

1 of 4 Lady Gaga at Schiaparelli Haute Couture © Kevin Dietsch-Pool / Getty Images Jennifer Lopez at Chanel © Win McNamee / Getty Images Amanda Gorman at Prada © Patrick Semansky-Pool / Getty Images Ella Emhoff at Miu Miu © Win McNamee / Getty Images

Millennials, the new voice of the United States, took an important place at the event. 22-year-old Amanda Gorman read her own poem "The Hills We Climb", becoming not only the youngest poetess in the history of the inauguration, but also the brightest guest. Italian designer Miuccia Prada gathered Gorman for the ceremony. And she also dressed Kamala Harris' stepdaughter, 21-year-old Ella Ehoff, who is studying design at the Parsons School and, perhaps, one day she will create outfits for the inauguration of the US president.

Official part

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the traditional inaugural ball, where the president and first lady perform a touching dance, has been canceled. However, this did not stop them from walking evening looks. The ceremonial part took place in the format of the 90-minute TV show "Celebrating America": Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend, Demi Lovato and Katy Perry in a customized Thom Browne suit were congratulated from all over the United States.

The latter performed the song "Firework", to which the square in front of the Lincoln Memorial was decorated with a large-scale purple fireworks. The president-elect watched him in a classic black tuxedo with a striped tie, and the first lady in white coats and a dress with floral patterns from the American designer of Uruguayan origin Gabriela Hirst. In 2020, the founder of the eponymous brand was recognized by the British Fashion Council for eco-initiatives, in particular for the use of recycled cashmere and paper in clothing. This caught the attention of executives at the Richemont conglomerate, who hired Hirst to be Chloé's creative director.

The vice president, who has become perhaps the most talked about participant in the official part of the inauguration thanks to her purple outfit and pearl necklace, in the evening returned to her favorite black color, in which she recently posed for the cover of Vogue. For her cocktail dress with sequins and long tuxedo, the same Sergio Hudson was responsible. “For me, all this means more than any project that I have done before,” WWD quotes him. - American designers of African descent don't just make urban clothes or crazy couture looks. We're the new Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. This is the road on which I want to be and which has not yet been paved, but, as we have seen today, any door can be wide open for a person of color, as well as for everyone."