Capitol Catwalk: From Kamala Harris to Michelle Obama and the Bidens, Our Favourite Inauguration Fashions

The inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris was remarkable for its small Capitol audience and massive security but also marked a hopeful turning point in America history. Striking an allegorical note, the best looks were political as much as fashion statements. From olive branch earrings and peace dove brooches to bipartisan purple (for its mix of red and blue) and suffragette white, the event’s symbolic trappings spoke to better days ahead while emphasizing the great stride forward represented by Harris’s ground-breaking — or, rather, glass ceiling-shattering — new role.

Many women wore strands of pearls — Laura Bush and Nancy Pelosi among them — a nod to Harris’s signature jewellery, as girls across the country posted pearls and Chuck Taylor memes in tribute to the newly minted lady veep. A stylish showcase of U.S. labels, the ceremony also heralded a return to a time-honoured tradition that’s been absent since Michelle Obama departed in 2016   — the White House’s celebration of American design.

Click the image above to begin a slideshow of our favourite fashions from the inauguration.

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