Outerwear, Monochrome Trend at the Inauguration – WWD

Wednesday’s inauguration brought forth a variety of exciting fashion trends, with monochrome dressing at the forefront. Purple, a prominent hue of the day worn by Vice President Kamala Harris, and former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, represents unity, a blend of red and blue, while jewel tones added a royal nod. 

Outfits worn throughout the day by President Joe Biden’s granddaughters Naomi, Natalie, Finnegan and Maisy, as well as Dr. Jill Biden and poet laureate Amanda Gorman, varied from pink, green and yellow, as well as classic camel, navy and white. Much like Wednesday’s fashions, the spring 2021 runways displayed monochromatic dressing as a prominent trend. Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris and breakout style star of the inauguration, joined in on the jewel-toned theme in a Batsheva frock while making her own statement in a Miu Miu plaid topcoat.

Here, WWD rounds up the best monochromatic looks from the spring 2021 runways that represent yesterday’s fashion-filled looks.

Vice President Harris’ purple ensemble, designed by Christopher John Rogers, was the sartorial embodiment of unity, a message that was oft-mentioned throughout the day. Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, too, wore shades of the prominent color, which were also seen on the spring 2021 runway at Roksanda, Tod’s and Prada.

Dr. Jill Biden sported a custom blue tweed jacket and dress designed by New-York based occasionwear label Markarian, for Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony. The calming hue’s presence was prevalent on the spring runways, as seen at Moschino, Proenza Schouler and Blumarine.

For the inauguration ceremony, Jennifer Lopez and Naomi Biden dressed in head-to-toe white, paying homage to suffragettes; for Wednesday evening’s “Celebrating America” event, Dr. Jill Biden wore a custom Gabriela Hearst white coat with delicate floral embroideries, complete with matching accessories. The designer also offered monochromatic white looks on the runway, like this crisp shirt and skirt. Fendi and Michael Kors Collection, too, displayed a clean palette for spring.

Natalie Biden, chose a bubblegum pink Lafayette148 coat (from the brand’s spring 2020 collection) for her Inauguration Day outfit. On the runway, brands Patou, St. John and JW Anderson also displayed girly shades of pink in polished yet playful silhouettes.

Finnegan Biden sported a classic camel coat by Brandon Maxwell, with coordinating mask and underpinnings. Rosetta Getty, Adam Lippes and Schiapparelli (who designed a custom haute couture look for Lady Gaga’s performance) offered shades of beige for spring through classic tailored looks.

 

Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris, an author and the founder of clothing label Phenomenal Woman, coordinated Ulla Johnson’s blouse and skirt with Coach’s shearling coat, in shades of green. Later on, she wore an emerald Vampire’s Wife frock, which Kate Middleton was seen wearing earlier in 2020. Shades ranging from lime to emerald were seen on the runway at Givenchy, Edeline Lee and Bottega Veneta.

Maisy Biden opted for a navy coat and trousers, accessorized with a pair of Air Jordan sneakers. Dior, Nina Ricci and Marina Moscone displayed the classic color for spring in a variety of silhouettes.

Breakout inauguration youth poet Amanda Gorman wore a full Prada outfit, bringing optimism through her performance and vibrant yellow topcoat. Jil Sander, Christopher John Rogers and Elie Saab, too, designed looks with a similar sunny disposition.

Ella Emhoff broke away from the monochromatic trend and wore a Miu Miu statement coat over Batsheva’s jewel-toned frock. Statement coats on the runway were seen at Andrew Gn, Gucci and Y/Project.