The coat signals what to expect from the new Vice President in terms of how she’ll use her wardrobe to champion Black American creativity.
At a COVID-19 memorial ceremony last night, Kamala Harris – who will be sworn in as the first female and first person of colour to be Vice President of the United States later today – notably donned a camel coat by New York-based brand Pyer Moss, helmed by Kerby Jean-Raymond, for the occasion. The look set the tone for what we can expect in terms of how Harris will use her wardrobe as a symbol of support for Black American creatives such as Jean-Raymond, who won the CFDA Fashion Award for American Menswear Designer of the Year in 2020.
Harris’s outerwear choice was not only distinctive thanks to its offbeat design detail of a curved panel across the back shoulders; it more importantly marks a shift in ideology within the White House orbit. While incoming President Joe Biden has reportedly selected a suit by Ralph Lauren for the inauguration, Harris’s bold move last night shows us that she’s not afraid to step outside the status quo with her outfits.
Using fashion as a means of advocacy and calling attention to important issues is certainly nothing new for women who hold political power; and Harris’s coat is an especially potent visual cue for consideration given Jean-Raymond’s outspokenness about tokenism in the fashion industry. But sartorial choices have also been weaponized against such accomplished women; consider the backlash toward Finland’s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, and her decision to wear a blazer with nothing underneath for a magazine photo shoot last year.
Harris’s navigation of the sexism inherent in people’s opinions of how women dress is worth observation; but last night’s outfit heralds an exciting and much-needed opportunity for change. And now, we wait to see what Harris emerges wearing for her swearing-in…
Watch this space for ongoing coverage of the standout fashion moments of Inauguration Day 2021.
%0A%0A%0A%0A%0AUsing%20fashion%20as%20a%20means%20of%20advocacy%20and%20calling%20attention%20to%20important%20issues%20is%20certainly%20nothing%20new%20for%20women%20who%20hold%20political%20power;%20and%20Harris's%20coat%20is%20an%20especially%20potent%20visual%20cue%20for%20consideration%20given%20Jean-Raymond's%20outspokenness%20about%20tokenism%20in%20the%20fashion%20industry.%20But%20sartorial%20choices%20have%20also%20been%20weaponized%20against%20such%20accomplished%20women;%20consider%20the%20backlash%20toward%20Finland's%20Prime%20Minister,%20Sanna%20Marin,%20and%20her%20decision%20to%20wear%20a%20blazer%20with%20nothing%20underneath%20for%20a%20magazine%20photo%20shoot%20last%20year.%0A%0AHarris's%20navigation%20of%20the%20sexism%20inherent%20in%20people's%20opinions%20of%20how%20women%20dress%20is%20worth%20observation;%20but%20last%20night's%20outfit%20heralds%20an%20exciting%20and%20much-needed%20opportunity%20for%20change.%20And%20now,%20we%20wait%20to%20see%20what%20Harris%20emerges%20wearing%20for%20her%20swearing-in...%0A%0AWatch%20this%20space%20for%20ongoing%20coverage%20of%20the%20standout%20fashion%20moments%20of%20Inauguration%20Day%202021.){kind=link}