“Without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury; no progress, only exhausting outrage; no nation, only a state of chaos,” Joe Biden declared after taking the Presidential oath on 20 January. “This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. And unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America.”
Purple Fashion Dominated At The Biden-Harris Inauguration
Famously, suffragettes used purple in their badges to represent dignity alongside green for hope and white for purity. Just as significantly, purple has long been acknowledged as a “bipartisan” colour – merging the blue associated with the Democratic party and the red of the Republican.
First to wear the unifying colour on Trump’s final day in the White House: First Lady Jill Biden, who arrived in the capital on 19 January in a violet “Unity” coat from sustainable American designer Jonathan Cohen’s autumn/winter 2021 collection along with a pair of lavender gloves.
And while Jill may have chosen a blue Markarian look for Inauguration Day proper, Vice President Kamala Harris picked up the torch, wearing a bold purple coat designed by Christopher John Rogers – a queer African-American creative named the 2020 CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year. (Notably, one of Harris’s idols Shirley Chisholm – the first African-American female to run for President – used a near-identical shade of purple for her campaign posters.)
Courtesy of Markarian
The two-piece ocean blue ensemble was crafted from wool tweed, and Dr. Biden also wore a matching silk Markarian face mask — adhering to the CDC’s health protocols. According to a statement from the label, the color choice is symbolic because blue represents trust, confidence, and stability. (Ideas that President-Elect Biden has previously echoed in his messages to the public.) Diving more into the look, the coat featured a dark blue velvet collar and cuffs while the dress underneath had a chiffon bodice and scalloped skirt. Swarovski pearls and crystals formed a floral pattern on the neckline of her dress while the coat’s exterior embellishments of Swarovski crystals glittered in the sunlight. Dr. Biden completed the look with a pair of beige Jimmy Choo Love pumps.
Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony was filled with history-making moments, most notably the swearing-in of Vice President Kamala Harris. But another young woman who took to the podium for the occasion has captured the heart of the nation – and made history herself.
Meanwhile, Michelle Obama opted to wear a plum-coloured turtleneck and wide-legged trousers by African-American designer Sergio Hudson – a long-term favourite of both Beyoncé and Rihanna.
Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old who was named the first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, became the youngest ever inaugural poet to speak at the ceremony. The honor has previously been given to the likes of Robert Frost and Maya Angelou.
Gorman, who hails from Los Angeles, attended Harvard University and graduated (virtually) last year with a BA in Sociology. She has authored two poetry collections and is also the founder and executive director of One Pen One Page, an organization providing free creative writing programs for underserved youth.
In front of millions tuning in for the event, Gorman, clad in Prada, recited her original work, “The Hill We Climb.”
“I’m deeply humbled to be taking part in such a historic moment,” she told Teen Vogue. “It’s an honor not only to be the youngest inaugural poet but to be a participant in an inauguration that symbolizes much-needed change, as embodied by President Elect Biden and Vice President Elect Harris.”
“There are all these different kinds of layers of stress that are on the American people right now. It was a hill I had to climb in itself,” says @amandascgorman. “I wrote [‘The Hill We Climb’] with the idea that this isn’t the moment to say, ‘Ding-dong the witch is dead,’ and dance on the grave of Trump. It’s a real opportunity to unite the people of the United States and focus our gaze on the future, and the ways in which we can collaborate and move forward together. I’m not gonna lie and say that I’m not scared. But I’m gratified in the fact that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but acting despite that fear. There comes this knowledge and this faith that I was made for this moment. Not in an egotistical way, not in saying that I’m better than anyone else, but I was called by the Bidens for a reason, and this moment has called me for a reason, so all I can do is show up and do my absolute best.”
Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, wore a full @prada look to recite her powerful poem “The Hill We Climb”
A Look Back At The Most Glamorous Inauguration Ball In U.S. History , which took place in 1961.
John F. Kennedy, 1961
& the unforgettable for her irresistible style First Lady, Jackie .
By Georgia Papadon & team
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