THE US PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION SENDS A STYLE SIGNAL
Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga’s outfits at the US Presidential inauguration sent out a subtle message
Inclusivity was strongly reflected in the sartorial picks of the star cast
The swearing-in ceremony of the US President and Vice President is known to have starstudded performances, and the inauguration of the 46th president, Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris was no exception. Musicians Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga stole the show with not just their singing prowess, but their sartorial choices, as well.
JLo and Lady Gaga were at the two extreme ends of the style spectrum. While Lopez went all-white in a Chanel pantsuit with her signature pearls, which could have been a callback to the 1900 women’s rights movement, Gaga embraced a custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture look designed by Daniel Roseberry. With Biden being hailed as the healer-in-chief or empathiserin-chief, the sartorial choices paid homage to what is expected of this new term.
Designer Rina Dhaka believes that meticulous planning goes into deciding a look for such events. “Both of them are such icons and these choices are well thought out. The planning goes into many levels. White is symbolic of peace. And Lady Gaga always has something unique and sets the bar high. She’s a fashion chameleon and objectifies whatever she believes she is in the moment.”
Elaborating on Lady Gaga’s look, designer Anand Bhushan, says, “Gaga’s look was very well thought of — from the peace braid to the golden dove with the olive branch symbolising peace.”
Echoing this, designer Nachiket Barve adds, “Gaga killed it as she conveyed the idea of a dove flying with her surrealist outing.”
The looks are being lauded for becoming statement-makers. “JLo paid homage to the Suffragette movement and women’s right to vote. On the other hand, Lady Gaga represented the colours of the American flag. It looked like one of the most positive events in a long time. It shows new America which wants peace, harmony, equal rights for all, freedom and liberty. So for me, the clothes showed hope,” says designer Rahul Mishra.
(With inputs from Manish Mishra)
It was a historic moment, one of the most positive events in a long time. RAHUL MISHRA, Designer