In advance of tomorrow’s Inauguration events, the President-elect, Vice President-elect, and their spouses took part in a COVID-19 memorial this evening.
Embed from Getty ImagesMs. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.
The President-elect spoke, as did Vice President-elect Harris.
From WYFF’s coverage:
“To heal we must remember. And it’s hard sometimes to remember,” Biden said. “But that’s how we heal. It’s important to do that as a nation.”
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris added: “For many months we have grieved by ourselves. Tonight, we grieve and begin healing together.”
Each of the lights surrounding the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial represents 1,000 lives lost to the pandemic.
And an aerial view.
Now to make the difficult turn from tonight’s ceremony to the fashion portion of the post. The Vice President-elect was wearing a coat by Pyer Moss, boots that I haven’t yet identified, and what looks like a knit dress beneath the coat.
Pyer Moss is New York-based, started and helmed by Kerby Jean-Raymond. As Vanessa Friedman noted on Twitter.
Ms. Harris’s coat looked like a classic camel design from the front, but it surprised with intriguing detail on the back.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt also has notched lapels and an open front without buttons that I could see.
More about the designer from Kerry Pieri writing in Harper’s Bazaar in a piece about possible designers the VPE might wear for inaugural events.
Kerby Jean-Raymond has become a fashion star since launching Pyer Moss, creating beautiful clothing that melds political messages and a celebration of Blackness. Showing collections at Brooklyn’s King Theater and Weeksville Heritage Center, he’s also known for inviting the public to enter the rarified world of runway shows. This unique approach and style that embody an intellectual glamour would make him a great candidate to dress the VP—bringing together two individuals who are breaking the mold in their respective fields.
Below, the designer in a photo posted on the Pyer Moss Facebook page in June 2019.
Here are scenes from his runway show for Collection 3, “American, Also; Lesson 3.” You can see Mr. Jean-Raymond in the center photo.
On his runways Jean-Raymond has addressed the erasure of African American narratives in popular culture via a three-part series of collections that he called “American, Also,” which included one show at Weeksville, the historic black neighborhood in Brooklyn. In September of last year he gathered PPE for hospital workers and provided $50,000 in grants for small businesses affected by the COVID crisis
The designer posted on his Instagram page this evening.
Pyer Moss has done collaborations with other brands, including Brother Vellies, a footwear brand. It’s possible the boots are a bespoke design from Brother Vellie. NOTE: See update below on boots. The brand has also done multiple collaborations with Reebok; items from the most recent collection are seen below.
I will keep looking for more information on the coat and dress and continue searching for the boots. DRESS UPDATE JAN 21: Oscar de la Renta posted that “Madam Vice President wore an odlrfall2020 knit crepe de chine dress.”
UPDATE JAN 20: The boots are by Manolo Blahnik. I was able to download some hi-res photos late last night, and you can see the standard signature on the soles. Also, as mentioned in a comment (thank you, Steph!), the brand has posted on Instagram that the VPE was wearing Manolos.
There are a couple of styles that are similar, but not identical, to Ms. Harris’s boots. Below, the Desida in black leather. It is very much like the style she wore but lacks a center seam that runs the length of her boots.
I will keep looking for the exact style and will post if/when I locate it.
For those interested in Dr. Jill Biden’s look, she was also wearing a design by a smaller label, Jonathan Cohen.
The designs are called the Unity Wrap Coat ($3895) and the Unity Paneled Dress ($2295). Both designs are from the A/W 2021 collection; they are made of 100% wool and are available for pre-order.
Booth Moore reports in Women’s Wear Daily:
[Jonathan Cohen] was early to the upcycling trend in fashion that has become more widespread as sustainability has become a key focus for brands. He introduced a capsule of upcycled pieces called The Studio in 2019 and has continued to work with leftover materials as part of his output since.”
The second part of our post is a quick guide to watching tomorrow’s ceremonies and events. One thing to keep in mind: it is going to be more-than-chilly. The Post reports, “…winds, which could gust to 30 to 40 mph…combination of these gusts and temperatures only around 40 degrees will produce subfreezing wind chills when Biden becomes the 46th president and Harris the 49th vice president.”
First up, the schedule.
10am -12:30pm: Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young People will be live-streamed by the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) and broadcast by Nickleodeon and Discovery Education. More from the PIC:
The livestream, hosted by award winning entertainer and advocate Keke Palmer, will feature a special message from Dr. Jill Biden; commentary from historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Erica Armstrong Dunbar; a segment on presidential pets produced by Nickelodeon; excerpts of student voices from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs “We the Young People” programming; trivia questions, including some asked by Doug Emhoff; segments produced by the Library of Congress; and other special features.
10:30am: The PIC coverage begins streaming on the Presidential Inauguration site, as well as its YouTube channel; on Twitch, as well as Twitter, and on Facebook. The ceremony will also be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, AT&T U-verse (Channel 212/1212 in SD/HD) and DIRECTV (Channel 201).
11:30am: The official ceremony swearing in Mr. Harris and Ms. Harris starts around 11:30. Lady Gaga will perform the National Anthem, Jennifer Lopez will perform, and 22-year-old Amanda Gorman, the nation’s first Youth Poet Laureate (seen below), will read a poem she composed after the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. The Reverend Dr. Silvester Beaman, pastor of Bethel A.M.E Church, will give the benediction.
President-elect Biden will be sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. More about the VPE’s portion of the ceremony from The Grio’s coverage:
When the California Democrat takes the oath of office, she will be sworn in by the first woman of color to sit on the Supreme Court. CNN reports that Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be on hand at Wednesday’s inauguration to swear in Harris. Sotomayor, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2009, is the first Latina and the third woman to be a member of the high court.
In addition, Harris will also honor the first Black Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall, by using his bible during the ceremony, according to ABC News. Marshall was nominated to the court in 1967 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and served as an associate justice until retiring in 1991.
After 2pm: There will be a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Ceremony. Accompanying Mr. Biden, Ms. Harris, and their families, Barack and Michelle Obama, George W. and Laura Bush, and Bill and Hillary Clinton.
8:30pm: Celebrating America , “Hosted by Tom Hanks, this 90-minute prime-time program will feature remarks from President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and include remarks and performances that represent the rich diversity and extensive talent America offers. Celebrating America will feature Ant Clemons, Jon Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, John Legend, Eva Longoria, Demi Lovato, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake, and Kerry Washington.”
Next, a list of social media accounts you may want to follow; I have included the new accounts they will switch to after the inauguration if I know them.
- Vice President-elect Kamala Harris: Twitter (now, will change to @VP; her 5-million+ Senate account followers will transfer to this); Instagram (now, changing to this); Facebook
- Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff: Twitter (now, changing to @SecondGentleman; Instagram
- President-elect Joe Biden: Twitter (now, changing to POTUS); Facebook
- Dr. Jill Biden: Twitter (will change to FLOTUS; Instagram; Facebook
- Presidential Inauguration Committee: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
- Build Back Better (Biden Transition Team): website; Facebook; Twitter (will change to @WhiteHouse); Instagram
LINKAGE (piece you may find of interest):
- The NY Times did a profile of Pyer Moss in March 2020.
- Essence has a piece by Nandi Howard looking at “The Best Fashion Moments from Vice President-elect Kamala Harris”
- This NY Times story looks at the phenomenon of 430,000+ (as of the story’s publication) women planning to wear pearls tomorrow in “Kamala Harris Has Always Worn Pearls. Now, in Sisterhood, So Will They”
- Robin Givhan has a stellar piece in today’s Washington Post, “Pocket squares and pearls convey a stylish team’s message. How Joe Biden and Kamala D. Harris display their common ground”
- This HuffPo story by Jamie Feldman covers the incoming FLOTUS’s fashion: “Jill Biden’s Signature Style is Bright, Bold and Brimming with Good Accessories”
- Doug Emhoff has penned a column in GQ titled, “I Might Be the First Second Gentleman, But I Don’t Want to Be the Last”
- An interview with Cole and Ella Emhoff is transcribed in the New York Times
- The NY Times has an article about the Youth Poet Laureate, “Amanda Gorman Captures the Moment, in Verse”
- For an international perspective, the BBC offers “Kamala Harris: A Beginner’s Guide to the Vice President”
We’ll close with another photo from the Field of Flags display featuring 200,000+ flags and 56 pillars of light on the Mall. The field represents all those unable to travel to the Inauguration because of the pandemic.
Steph says
The boots are by Manolo Blahnik! They posted earlier
Susan Kelley says
Argh, I forgot to include them in the post; thank you. (I don’t have loads of info, but will include what little I have.) Thank you again, Steph! 🙂
Susan Kelley says
Thank you, Steph, I became so engrossed in today’s post I forgot to update! 🙂
Gina says
Can’t wait to see what you post from today’s historic day. Been checking all day. Thank you for creating this site! ??
Susan Kelley says
Aww, thank you, Gina! Today’s post is here: https://bit.ly/KDH20Jan2021 🙂
Gina says
Thank you just found it after I posted my comment. Really great job! ❤️