January 20, 2021
Kamala Harris Chooses Out Black Designer for Inauguration Day
Matthew Wexler READ TIME: 1 MIN.
It's a new day in Washington. Gone are the tone-deaf days of the first lady wearing stilettos to visit the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. Enter Dr. Jill Biden as first lady and Kamala Harris as vice president – both choosing to embrace American designers for the presidential inauguration.
Harris wore a purple jacket by Christopher John Rogers–a proud gay Black man– making not only a fashion statement but also a nod to her advocacy for diverse communities. A second Black designer, Sergio Hudson (CFDA's 2020 emerging designer of the year), created Harris's underneath look.
Harris famously wore a white suit for her acceptance speech, a nod to the passage of the 19th amendment. The vice president-elect appears on the February cover of Vogue, although her campaign didn't expect the final image to make the cut. Harris was photographed in a powder blue power suit, but editors chose to run a more casual look with the vice president-elect wearing Converse sneakers instead.
Here's a closer look at Harris's inauguration day designer picks:
Matthew Wexler is EDGE's Senior Editor, Features & Branded Content. More of his writing can be found at www.wexlerwrites.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @wexlerwrites.