Jill Biden, Harris make style statements
Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden took a stylish step into their new roles on Inauguration Day.
Harris and Biden were seen Wednesday wearing ensembles from emerging designers.
Harris, who often sports her signature Converse Chuck Taylors and pearls, wore a purple ensemble from Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson to Mass with the Bidens on Wednesday.
Harris, who made history Wednesday as the first woman and woman of color to become vice president, notably chose to wear up-and-coming Black designers for the occasion.
Rogers is a Black designer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who now lives in New York City, and Hudson is a Black designer from South Carolina.
Biden wore a dress and overcoat in ocean blue wool tweed, complete with a matching silk face mask and all by the New York-based label Markarian from young designer Alexandra O’neill.
This Biden ensemble could end up being donated to the Smithsonian’s First Ladies Collection, because there won’t be any inaugural balls for the Biden inauguration and thus no inaugural gowns.
The coat was trimmed with dark blue velvet collar and cuffs and worn over a tapered dress with a chiffon bodice and scalloped skirt. The dress neckline was embellished with Swarovski pearls and crystals in a floral pattern. The crystals also adorned the coat and dress.
The color blue was chosen to signify trust, confidence and stability, according to a Markarian statement, which said the outfit was made by a small team in New York’s garment district and hand-finished by O’neill in her West Village studio.
Markarian, named after a particularly radiant grouping of galaxies, combines O’neill’s blend of what she calls celestial romanticism with timeless design and modern grace.
The women’s husbands wore American designer Ralph Lauren.
President Joe Biden wore a navy suit and navy overcoat.
Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, wore a Ralph Lauren suit.
On Tuesday night, Harris supported another emerging Black designer, wearing a beige coat by Pyer Moss from designer Kerby Jean-raymond.