All the hidden meanings behind Kamala Harris' Inauguration Day outfit

kamala harris inauguration outfit.JPG — There were plenty of hidden meanings and tributes in Kamala Harris' Inauguration Day outfit.
Bredan McDermid/Reuters

Kamala Harris’ Inauguration Day outfit was packed with hidden meaning.
The vice president wore Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson, two young Black designers.
She wore purple — seen as a symbol of bipartisanship — and her pearls paid tribute to her sorority.
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It didn’t take long for strong fashion themes to emerge on Inauguration Day, where Kamala Harris was sworn in as the new vice president of the United States.

From the color of her dress and overcoat to the pearls she wore around her neck, Harris made several statements with her style as she made history on Wednesday.

Kamala Harris chose two Black designers for her Inauguration Day outfit

As Insider’s Darcy Schild reported, Harris wore a monochromatic shift dress and overcoat designed by Christopher John Rogers. Her shoes were made by Sergio Hudson – who also designed Michelle Obama’s inauguration outfit.

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Harris also put a Black designer front and center with her Inauguration Eve outfit, wearing a stunning Pyer Moss coat designed by Kerby Jean-Raymond for a COVID-19 memorial on Tuesday night.

Both Rogers and Hudson have spoken out in the past about what it means to be an emerging Black designer in an industry that has long ignored them.

"Some of my white professors in art school saw my work and thought it was tacky," Rogers told Vanity Fair last year. "They wrote it off as out of touch and too tailored. The women who have inspired me the most are the ones who registered and understood my work in all of its complexity: first lady Michelle Obama, Tracee Ellis Ross, Cardi B, Gabrielle Union."

"The people who initially reached out to me for interviews and pulled my stuff and actually used it were Black women," he added. "Black women understood why I didn't shy away from color."

Hudson, who started dressing Obama after her stylist Meredith Koop followed him on Instagram, has been candid about his struggle to find funding in the industry as a Black designer.

"It takes so much money to work in this business. And, to be honest, people don't want to give money to African-American people," he told The Daily Beast last year.

"If you take the most successful brands right now who are led by African-Americans, they have an urban or a streetwear type of vibe," he added. "That's us, we do that, but that's not the only thing that we do. When we do something else, a lot of times it's not celebrated or lauded or thought that we should do it."

Harris' ensemble was also a tribute to American designers

kamala harris — Harris, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, and Doug Emhoff all wore American designers.
Mike Segar/Reuters

In addition to her outfit and shoes, Harris wore a necklace designed by Puerto Rican designer Wilfredo Rosado and an American flag pin by New York-based designer David Yurman.

She was joined by the president, first lady, and second gentleman, who all also opted for American designers, Schild previously reported.

President Joe Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff both wore suits by Ralph Lauren, while Jill Biden wore an ocean-blue dress and overcoat from Markarian, a New York-based luxury fashion label by designer Alexandra O'Neill.

Their fashion choices stood in stark contrast to Melania Trump, who departed the White House wearing Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Christian Louboutin - all European brands.

Trump frequently wore European brands throughout her time as first lady, despite the fact that her husband had an "America first" platform. A number of American fashion designers - including Christian Siriano and Marc Jacobs - also refused to dress her due to the family's political views.

Harris wore head-to-toe purple, a color that many say symbolized bipartisanship

Harris, Obama, and Hillary Clinton each made a powerful statement by opting to wear varying shades of purple to the Inauguration, Insider's Amanda Krause reported.

Purple has been seen as the color of bipartisanship, as it combines Republican red with Democrat blue.

Clinton notably wore purple while delivering her concession speech after losing the presidential election to Donald Trump in 2016.

Purple is also one of the official colors of the American women's suffrage movement, along with white and gold. It represents "loyalty, constancy to purpose, and unswerving steadfastness to a cause," according to NPR.

The color purple also pays special tribute to iconic politician Shirley Chisholm, according to CNN's Abby Phillip.

Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress and made history again as the first Black major-party candidate to run for president. She often wore purple during her campaign, which Phillip said had inspired Harris' own political career.

Harris' signature pearls were a sweet nod to her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha

Harris is known for her love of pearls, one of the symbols of her sorority. And when it came time for the historic day, she tapped Puerto Rican-designer Wilfredo Rosado to design her standout necklace.

Rosado told Women's Wear Daily that he received a call in September asking if he would design something for a "female politician who loves pearls." He instantly knew it was for Harris.

"Kamala is someone I've been following since she threw her hat in the ring for president," he said. "I followed her in the debates, her line of questioning during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, and loved her strength. To have this opportunity was beyond exciting for me."

The necklace features a gold chain and South Sea pearls, linked together by small diamonds. Rosado said the chain-link design is meant to represent "toughness and also fashion."

"It looks very classic in terms of execution, but when you see it in person and the movement, it's very glamorous but still tough," he added. "It's a bold necklace, not a classic string of pearls."

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