Dr. Jill Biden + Kamala Harris send a powerful message with their Inauguration Day outfits

At 12 p.m. today, Kamala Devi Harris officially became the first female, first Black vice president of the United States of America and Jill Biden is the country’s newest first lady.

To celebrate this historical moment, both ladies followed the tradition of wearing lesser-known American designers. Jill wore a baby blue wool coat, dress (and matching face mask) all designed by American designer Alexandra O’Neill, who is the founder of Markarian.

“The coat, with its dark blue velvet collar and cuffs, is worn over a tapered dress with a chiffon bodice and scalloped skirt,” the Markarian label said in a release. “The neckline of the dress is hand-embellished with Swarovski pearls and crystals in a delicate floral pattern. The same Swarovski crystals adorn the coat and dress, subtly reflecting the light.”

“The color blue was chosen for the pieces to signify trust, confidence, and stability,” the release continued. “The look was carefully crafted by a small team in the heart of New York City’s Garment Center and hand-finished by O’Neill in her West Village studio. Alexandra is incredibly humbled to be a small part of such a historic moment.”

Similarly, Kamala wore designs from Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson, both Black fashion designers to officially become Madam Vice President. She is also wearing pearls—which is a nod to her Alpha Kappa Alpha sisterhood.

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Yesterday for the opening of the inauguration events, Joe Biden wore a navy blue overcoat and Jill Biden opted for a purple ensemble—a coat tied with a velvet ribbon and gloves and mask created by New York-based independent designer Jonathan Cohen.

According to WWD, Biden’s unity wrap coat with velvet tie and unity paneled dress are part of the brand’s upcoming fall 2021 collection. The theme of President-elect Biden’s inauguration is “America United” and the ladies wearing purple is a tremendous nod to unity between red and blue.