Michelle Obama’s stylist explained the meaning behind her inauguration outfit: ‘She has taken a look at the rule book and turned the page’

• Michelle Obama was styled by longtime stylist Meredith Koop for the Biden-Harris inauguration.
• Koop said that she wanted Michelle to feel comfortable, confident and stylish.
• “She leads, she inspires, and she slays,” Koop wrote in an Instagram post.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The Obamas attended the Biden-Harris inauguration on Wednesday, and while the event was awash with standout looks, Michelle’s plum-colored ensemble was one of the day’s most talked about.

Her longtime stylist, Meredith Koop, took to Instagram on Thursday to share two posts explaining the meaning behind the inauguration outfit.

A post shared by Meredith Koop (@meredithkoop)

The monochrome look comprised of pants, a sweater, belt, and jacket that were all created by American designer Sergio Hudson, whose “designs have become staples within Obama’s wardrobe,” according to Vogue. 

Koop began her post by writing: "First off, thank you. To have you feel in my work the dedication I have to what I do and the respect I have for Michelle is so appreciated."

"Inevitably, people will project their own stories onto any visual stimuli including fashion," she continued. "I love that. What you see is true for you and I'm going to tell you what's true for me."

The look, which consisted of "gorgeous separates" from Hudson, was the third one Koop and the designer had worked on together.

"I can say confidently that Sergio is in the top in his designs, construction, and understanding of how to dress the curves of a woman's body," Koop wrote, adding that "he absolutely blim blam killed it."

A post shared by Sergio Hudson (@sergiohudson)

Calling the color scheme "wineberry plum," Koop said she wanted the look to consist of jewel tones, blacks, and grays. She also wanted Michelle to look "sleek, chic, and modern."

Read more: 21 of Michelle Obama's most inspiring quotes on work, success, and relationships

She noted that the use of the purple tone wasn't bipartisan. "That's a cute story," she said, "but it wasn't the intention." Purple has often been used by political parties to show unity, combining both the blue and red colors of the Democrats and Republicans.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren also wore purple shades to the inauguration.

As Insider's Amanda Krause reported, it wasn't clear if the outfits were coordinated or just a coincidence, but they likely shared similar influences: "unity, equality, and politicians that came before them."

Harris also may have worn purple as a tribute to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president in 1972, who used the color in her own campaign. 

Koop also said that she originally had gloves, shoes, and a dyed face mask to match for Michelle, however, she opted at the last minute to pair the outfit instead with a black silk face mask by Christy Rilling and black block-heeled suede boots by Stuart Weitzman, which made the outfit feel modern and "more how women tend to dress."

She added: "I am honored that she trusts me to do what I do, to ideate and execute looks with freedom, to be creative and, yes, to use fashion to send a message and to give a platform to artists/designers."

The stylist said she knew right from the beginning that she wanted Obama to wear pants to make sure that her longtime client felt comfortable during the celebration. 

"With the inauguration, there are many variables to consider," Koop said. "It's cold, tons of people are watching, there are stairs, there are car rides, sitting and standing, on and on."

Read more: All the hidden meanings behind Kamala Harris' Inauguration Day outfit

Koop said she's trained herself "to try to think through every possible scenario" ahead of an event and that the moment Michelle returned to tell her how comfortable she felt in the outfit was "literal music" to her ears.

"What I want to convey most, though, is that this particular outfit is about the woman wearing it more than anything. It is about her and what she means to you and to America. She is powerful and she needs to move," she said.

Koop concluded her post by saying: "She has taken a look at the rule book and turned the page. She leads, she inspires, and she slays."

Meredith Koop didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.