The 8 most controversial fashion moments of 2020, so far

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kerby Jean-Raymond, founder of the <keyword id="6" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="fashion">fashion</keyword> label Pyer Moss, has teamed up with <keyword id="1604901" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kering">Kering</keyword> to launch 'Your Friends in New York' — a creative platform that seeks to reimagine the way consumers interact with brands. </li><li>The platform will combine fashion, music, philanthropy, art, and wellness, and offer various experiences for creatives; it will also include an incubator program to help support emerging talent. </li><li>Jean-Raymond will also seek to help the marginalized communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. </li><li>Jean-Raymond now joins <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alice-and-olivia-founder-stacey-bendet-launches-job-app-creatively-2020-8">Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hood-by-air-announced-partnership-with-financial-service-cash-app-2020-7">Shayne Oliver from Hood By Air</a> as fashion designers who have launched platforms to help the creative and artistic community. </li></ul><p>On September 10, fashion designer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kerbito/?hl=en">Kerby Jean-Raymond</a>, founder of the label <a href="https://pyermoss.com/">Pyer Moss</a>, launched "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/yourfriendsinnewyork/?hl=en">Your Friends in New York</a>," a team-up with <keyword id="6363239" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="luxury">luxury</keyword> giant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/look-at-11-of-the-most-iconic-kering-owned-brands-2020-2">Kering</a>, designed to reimagine how consumers interact with brands. </p><p>Split into multiple divisions, the creative collective platform will combine fashion, music, philanthropy, art, and wellness, and offer various experiences for creatives, such as multi-day events and fashion shows. The platform will also offer an incubator program for emerging designers, a merchandise label, and take part in various charity endeavors. </p><p>"It is important to me to create and work on ventures that are future-forward, involve the community at large and that will continue to help others grow in the fashion and art space," Kerby Jean-Raymond said in a press release. </p><p>Jean-Raymond launched his brand Pyer Moss in 2013 and was the recipient of top honors at the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Awards. He was also named Footwear News Person of the Year in 2019 and was recently named Harlem's Fashion Row Designer of the Year. </p><p>He is currently one of the top Black designers in fashion, <a href="https://www.kolormagazine.com/fashion-1/2019/3/15/johyxrtaqi26ejovcxhhgxl7hlgdn6">counting Michelle Obama</a> and Colin Kaepernick among his fans. In 2019 he was included on the <a href="https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718848/kerby-jean-raymond/">TIME 100 Next list</a> for his label Pyer Moss. The same year, he met with Kering Chairman and CEO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kering-ceo-francois-henri-pinault-talks-gender-equality-womens-forum-2019-11">Francois-Henri Pinault</a> about launching this platform; it was set to be released this March but postponed because of the pandemic. </p><p>Since the pandemic, Jean-Raymond has added a mission to the platform, which will seek to help marginalized communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The platform will also provide mental health services, primarily for those who live in public housing.</p><p>Further details regarding the platform and its various events are set to be released in the upcoming months, per the press release. </p><p>"When I met Kerby in 2019, I was impressed by his unique perspective of creativity, innovation, business, and social issues," François-Henri Pinault said in the release. "What struck me immediately was his willingness to invent a new, singular model, freeing himself from the usual constraints of the fashion system. It was only natural for Kering to support this project that seeks to empower new artistic talents, to encourage the diversity of creativity, and to give a voice to the younger generation of innovators." </p><p>Jean-Raymond joins other fashion designers, such as Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia and Shayne Oliver of Hood By Air, who have started platforms for creatives and artists. In July, Bendet launched <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alice-and-olivia-founder-stacey-bendet-launches-job-app-creatively-2020-8">Creatively with the aim of creating a Linked-In-inspired space</a> that will allow artists to upload visual portfolios and resumes. </p><p>That month, Oliver <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hood-by-air-announced-partnership-with-financial-service-cash-app-2020-7">reopened his fashion house, Hood By Air</a>, which now includes a platform that will help support emerging creative talent, and take part in various charity endeavors.</p>

Millennial fashion guru Kerby Jean-Raymond is teaming up with Kering to launch a new platform that seeks to revolutionize customer-brand relationships

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The future first and second families gathered in Washington, DC, on the eve of the <keyword id="6363817" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inauguration">inauguration</keyword>.</li><li>The Vice President-elect and incoming first lady both sent messages with their outfits.</li><li>Both wore looks that nodded to the suffering caused by the pandemic and supported small businesses.</li></ul><p>On the eve of the inauguration, the future first and second families <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-remembers-lives-lost-to-covid-19-at-lincoln-memorial-2021-1">gathered at the Lincoln Memorial</a> to pay tribute to the 400,000 Americans who have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-us-vaccine-rollout-is-a-disaster-what-next-2021-1">died from the coronavirus</a>. </p><p>President-elect Joe Biden gave a speech honoring the citizens who have died from COVID-19 with his wife, Jill Biden, by his side, as well as Vice President-elect <keyword id="180909" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kamala-Harris">Kamala Harris</keyword> and her husband Doug Emhoff. </p><p>Both Harris and Jill subtly nodded to the suffering caused by the pandemic with the outfits they wore to the event.</p><p>Harris sported a statement jacket designed by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kerbito/">Kerby Jean-Raymond</a>, the founder of <a href="https://www.pyermoss.com/">Pyer Moss</a>.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKP7ccIFOEr" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Kamala Harris (@kamalaharris)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>The jacket has an asymmetrical hem that leads to statement pleats, combining modern design with classic sophistication. It appears to have been designed specifically for Harris, as the jacket isn't available on the Pyer Moss website at the time of writing.</p><p>Sporting a Pyer Moss looked seemed like an intentional choice for Harris, as the brand has made a point of giving back throughout the coronavirus pandemic. </p><p>In March, the Pyer Moss studio used $10,000 to buy PPE for frontline healthcare workers, and the brand converted its studio into a donation center for PPE as well, as it announced via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-IzdOVjKUp/">Instagram</a>.</p><p>At the same time, Pyer Moss started a $100,000 fund to support small business owners who were struggling as a result of the pandemic. </p><p>The jacket also gave Harris the opportunity to uplift a designer of color, as Jean-Raymond is Black. </p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-gavin-newsom-xavier-becerra-california-senate-biden-replacement-2020-12">Here are 12 California power players Gov. Gavin Newsom could choose from to replace Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra and reshape the state's political future</a></em></p><p>Jill's ensemble was similarly symbolic. The future first lady wore <a href="https://www.jonathancohenstudio.com/shop-the-studio">Jonathan Cohen's</a> "Unity" coat and dress to the memorial.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRJimkAwB1" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Jonathan Cohen (@jonathancohenstudio)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>The $3,895 <a href="https://www.jonathancohenstudio.com/shop-studio/unity-wrap-coat">coat</a> and $2,295 <a href="https://www.jonathancohenstudio.com/shop-studio/unity-paneled-dress">dress</a> are a matching set. Her complementary mask was made from leftover material, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/VVFriedman/status/1351665089640882177">a tweet from The New York Times' fashion director Vanessa Friedman</a>.</p><p>The name of the look indicates the ensemble is supposed to support <a href="https://www.insider.com/biden-promotes-unity-turns-to-business-of-transition-2020-11">Joe's message of unity for America</a>. The color doubles down on that message, as the purple color is a combination of Democrat blue and Republican red.</p><p>In addition, Jill also gave a platform to Cohen as a small business owner and the son of Mexican immigrants, as stated on the <a href="https://www.jonathancohenstudio.com/about">Jonathan Cohen website</a>.</p><p>Both Harris and Jill have worn ensembles with meaning behind them on multiple occasions in recent months, such as <a href="https://www.insider.com/history-of-the-color-white-and-the-suffrage-movement-2020-11">Harris' all-white outfit</a> during her victory speech that nodded to the suffrage movement and <a href="https://www.insider.com/jill-biden-wears-vote-boots-stuart-weitzman-2020-9">Jill's infamous "vote" boots</a> that raised money for the "I am voter" nonprofit.</p><p>Joe and Harris will be inaugurated on Wednesday in Washington, DC.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-wore-the-future-is-female-socks-2021-1">Vice President-elect Kamala Harris rocked 'The future is female' socks with a sleek pantsuit in her niece's TikTok video</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/jill-biden-oscar-de-la-renta-dress-victory-speech-2020-11">Jill Biden made a statement in a $5,690 dress from a designer with a long history in the White House, and it's already sold out</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/history-of-the-color-white-and-the-suffrage-movement-2020-11">Kamala Harris' white suit was a powerful nod to the suffrage movement, which used the color to challenge sexist stereotypes</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-vogue-february-cover-photos-reactions-2021-1">Kamala Harris' Vogue cover photos include a nod to her sorority and her signature Converse sneakers</a></li></ul>

Kamala Harris and Jill Biden both sent subtle messages with their outfit choices on the eve of inauguration

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="226981" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="InStyle">InStyle</keyword>'s September issue with <keyword id="1655181" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Zendaya">Zendaya</keyword> is the first time the magazine has exclusively featured Black designers, a spokesperson for the magazine confirmed to Insider. </li><li>The shoot was styled by Law Roach and also featured Black photographers Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice. </li><li>Black hair and makeup artists, Black jewelry designers, and Black shoe designers were also used for the shoot. </li><li>Designers that were featured in the shoot included Jason Rembert, Christopher John Rogers, Anifa Mvuemba, and Kerby Jean-Raymond. </li></ul><p>From the jewels and shoes to the <keyword id="22383" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="photography">photography</keyword> and clothes, everything about Zendaya's InStyle cover is <a href="https://www.insider.com/viola-davis-vanity-fair-cover-first-by-a-black-photographer-2020-7">a celebration of Black talent</a>. </p><p><a href="https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/zendaya-september-2020-cover">InStyle's September issue</a> is the first time the magazine has exclusively featured Black designers in its cover shoot, a spokesperson confirmed with Insider on Friday. </p><p>The shoot was styled by Law Roach — who has <a href="https://www.insider.com/zendaya-most-daring-outfits-photos-2020-3">worked with Zendaya for years</a> — and captured by the photography duo Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice.</p><p>The designers featured include Jason Rembert, Christopher John Rogers, Anifa Mvuemba, Kerby Jean-Raymond, and Carly Cushnie, among many others. </p><h2>Zendaya wore all Black designers on the historic cover</h2><p>On the cover (below), Zendaya sported a red satin Aliétte dress, designed by Rembert for his 2020 fall collection, and earrings by Matthew Harris of Mateo New York. </p><p><div type="image" title="Zendaya instyle" height="2807" width="2000" msid="77425009" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The Emmy nominee wore a pleated Hanifa dress designed by Mvuemba for the subscriber cover (below).</p><p><div type="image" title="zendaya" height="2807" width="2000" msid="77425010" hostid="261"></div></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/zendaya-breastplate-critics-choice-awards-2020-1">Zendaya also wore a dramatic pink</a> checkered gown by Christopher John Rogers during the shoot, as well as designs by Romeo Hunte, Thebe Magugu, and Victor Glemaud. </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:800; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~800;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDkDz7njuQt" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">This girl.... @zendaya</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by  Law Roach (@luxurylaw) on Aug 6, 2020 at 2:45pm PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-08-06T21:45:46+00:00">Aug 6, 2020 at 2:45pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><h2>The star <a href="https://www.insider.com/biggest-celebrities-this-year-achievements-2019-11">spoke about the shoot</a> during her interview for the magazine</h2><p>Speaking to Patrisse Cullors, the cofounder of the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/black-lives-matter">Black Lives Matter</a> movement, Zendaya said: "I've always had a Black stylist and Black hair and makeup artists, but we were able to work with two talented young Black photographers on this shoot too."</p><p>"We're actually around the same age, so it was cool to be with my peers and have an opportunity to show what we can do," she added. "There are also so many Black designers people don't know about, so having the opportunity where they can be in InStyle and get the love they deserve is really special." </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/zendaya-jacob-elordi-relationship-timeline">The "Euphoria" star</a> added that she hopes the September issue will encourage people to buy from Black designers. </p><p>"I hope people are like, 'Oh, I like that dress!' and then go support them," she said. </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:800; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~800;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjI3GaA3MB" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Come for #zendaya strutting on a roof in @pyermoss and @brothervellies, stay for her inventing the color red. #linkinbio for so much more.</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by  instylemagazine (@instylemagazine) on Aug 6, 2020 at 6:11am PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-08-06T13:11:07+00:00">Aug 6, 2020 at 6:11am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><h2>Zendaya and Black Lives Matter cofounder Patrisse Cullors spoke at length in the issue about the movement</h2><p>Speaking about the Black Lives Matter movement and ongoing protests against police brutality, Zendaya said that while she doesn't consider herself to be an activist, she wanted to use her platform to shine a spotlight on the work that people like Cullors are doing every day.  </p><p>"I'm just an actress, you know? And I don't pretend to be anything other than that," she told Cullors. "If I don't know something, then I ask people who are actually on the front lines doing the work."</p><p>"I'm up in the bleachers, not on the field," she added. "So I always think, 'How can I cheer you on and be a part of something greater than myself?'"</p><p>Representatives for Zendaya did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Designers featured in the cover shoot did not comment following Insider's requests before the time of publication.</p><p><em>The September issue of InStyle will be available on newsstands, on Amazon, and for </em><a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Finstyle-magazine%2Fid475770351&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cwire.pics%40wanews.com.au%7C53d78affd40c4088e9ac08d7dbbe1a6e%7Ca45470d5309e426fae080255f1aa55cc%7C0%7C0%7C637219481867910926&amp;sdata=yP1Pbj9pCEDDdpfwSo19Ez1MJ0eQIJLZtlVKXq0omlg%3D&amp;reserved=0p;reserved=0"><em>digital download</em></a><em> on August 21.</em></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/viola-davis-vanity-fair-cover-first-by-a-black-photographer-2020-7">The first Black photographer to shoot a Vanity Fair cover shares the powerful story behind his picture of Viola Davis</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/zendaya-most-daring-outfits-photos-2020-3">25 of the most daring outfits Zendaya has ever worn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/zendaya-breastplate-critics-choice-awards-2020-1">Zendaya wore a hot-pink breastplate straight out of the future on the red carpet</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/biggest-celebrities-this-year-achievements-2019-11">31 celebrities who had a remarkable 2019</a></li></ul>

Zendaya wore all Black designers from head to toe for her InStyle cover — a first in the magazine's history

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="180909" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kamala-Harris">Kamala Harris</keyword>' <keyword id="6363817" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inauguration">Inauguration</keyword> Day outfit was packed with hidden meaning. </li><li>The vice president wore Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson, two young Black designers. </li><li>She wore purple — seen as a symbol of bipartisanship — and her pearls paid tribute to her sorority. </li></ul><p>It didn't take long for <a href="https://www.insider.com/joe-biden-inauguration-what-former-first-ladies-wore-2021-1">strong fashion themes to emerge on Inauguration Day</a>, where Kamala Harris was sworn in as the new vice president of the United States. </p><p>From the color of her dress and overcoat to the pearls she wore around her neck, Harris made several statements with her <keyword id="7" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="style">style</keyword> as she made history on Wednesday. </p><h2>Kamala Harris chose two Black designers for her Inauguration Day outfit </h2><p>As <a href="https://www.insider.com/bidens-harris-wear-us-designers-on-inauguration-melania-wears-chanel-2021-1">Insider's Darcy Schild reported</a>, Harris wore a monochromatic shift dress and overcoat designed by Christopher John Rogers. Her shoes were made by Sergio Hudson - who also designed <a href="https://www.insider.com/michelle-obama-inauguration-outfit-sergio-hudson-2021-1">Michelle Obama's inauguration outfit</a>. </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:800; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~800;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRcwbcMVLm" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by CJR  (@christopherjohnrogers)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>Harris also put a Black designer front and center <a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-and-jill-biden-sent-messages-with-outfits-2021-1">with her Inauguration Eve outfit</a>, wearing a stunning Pyer Moss coat designed by Kerby Jean-Raymond for a COVID-19 memorial on Tuesday night. </p><p>Both Rogers and Hudson have spoken out in the past about what it means to be an emerging Black designer in an industry that has long ignored them. </p><p>"Some of my white professors in art school saw my work and thought it was tacky," Rogers told <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/designer-christopher-john-rogers-wants-more-room-for-black-designers">Vanity Fair</a> last year. "They wrote it off as out of touch and too tailored. The women who have inspired me the most are the ones who registered and understood my work in all of its complexity: first lady <keyword id="27526" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Michelle-Obama">Michelle Obama</keyword>, Tracee Ellis Ross, Cardi B, Gabrielle Union." </p><p>"The people who initially reached out to me for interviews and pulled my stuff and actually used it were Black women," he added. "Black women understood why I didn't shy away from color." </p><p>Hudson, who started dressing Obama after her stylist Meredith Koop followed him on Instagram, has been candid about his struggle to find funding in the industry as a Black designer. </p><p>"It takes so much money to work in this business. And, to be honest, people don't want to give money to African-American people," he told <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/sergio-hudson-wants-to-be-the-next-versace-michelle-obama-and-beyonce-approve?ref=scroll">The Daily Beast</a> last year. </p><p>"If you take the most successful brands right now who are led by African-Americans, they have an urban or a streetwear type of vibe," he added. "That's us, we do that, but that's not the only thing that we do. When we do something else, a lot of times it's not celebrated or lauded or thought that we should do it." </p><p><em><strong>Read more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamalas-way-read-an-excerpt-from-kamala-harris-new-biography-2021-1">'Kamala's Way': A new biography explores how Harris played Trump's game, using confidence and unapologetic ambition to grab the spotlight</a></em></p><h2>Harris' ensemble was also a tribute to American designers </h2><div type="image" title="kamala harris" height="1333" width="2000" msid="80376969" hostid="261"></div><p>In addition to her outfit and shoes, Harris wore a necklace designed by Puerto Rican designer Wilfredo Rosado and an American flag pin by New York-based designer David Yurman. </p><p>She was joined by the president, first lady, and second gentleman, who all also opted for American designers, <a href="https://www.insider.com/bidens-harris-wear-us-designers-on-inauguration-melania-wears-chanel-2021-1">Schild previously reported</a>.</p><p>President Joe Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff both wore suits by Ralph Lauren, while Jill Biden wore an ocean-blue dress and overcoat from <a href="https://markarian-nyc.com/">Markarian</a>, a New York-based luxury <keyword id="6" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="fashion">fashion</keyword> label by designer Alexandra O'Neill. </p><p>Their <a href="https://www.insider.com/bidens-harris-wear-us-designers-on-inauguration-melania-wears-chanel-2021-1">fashion choices stood in stark contrast to Melania Trump</a>, who departed the White House wearing Chanel, Dolce &amp; Gabbana, and Christian Louboutin - all European brands. </p><p>Trump frequently wore European brands throughout her time as first lady, despite the fact that her husband had an "America first" platform. A number of American fashion designers - including Christian Siriano and Marc Jacobs - also refused to dress her due to the family's political views. </p><h2>Harris wore head-to-toe purple, a color that many say symbolized bipartisanship </h2><div type="image" title="Kamala Harris" height="3070" width="1495" msid="80376970" hostid="261"></div><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/why-politicians-wore-purple-inauguration-2021-1">Harris, Obama, and Hillary Clinton each made a powerful statement</a> by opting to wear varying shades of purple to the Inauguration, Insider's Amanda Krause reported.</p><p>Purple has been seen as the color of bipartisanship, as it combines Republican red with Democrat blue. </p><p>Clinton <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/hillary-clinton-purple-suit-concession-speech">notably wore purple</a> while delivering her concession speech after losing the presidential election to Donald Trump in 2016. </p><p>Purple is also one of the <a href="https://www.insider.com/jennifer-lopez-inauguration-style-suffragete-white-2021-1">official colors of the American women's suffrage movement</a>, along with white and gold. It represents "loyalty, constancy to purpose, and unswerving steadfastness to a cause," according to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/symbols-of-the-women-s-suffrage-movement.htm">NPR</a>. </p><p>The color purple also pays special tribute to iconic politician Shirley Chisholm, according to <a href="https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/gallery/shirley-chisholm-inspired-the-inaugurations-purple-fashion-statements-1234704788/aptopix-biden-inauguration-4/">CNN's Abby Phillip</a>.</p><p>Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress and made history again as the first Black major-party candidate to run for president. She often wore purple during her campaign, which <a href="https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/gallery/shirley-chisholm-inspired-the-inaugurations-purple-fashion-statements-1234704788/aptopix-biden-inauguration-4/">Phillip said had inspired Harris' own political career</a>. </p><h2>Harris' signature pearls were a sweet nod to her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha </h2><div type="image" title="Kamala Harris" height="1334" width="1778" msid="80376971" hostid="261"></div><p>Harris is known for her love of pearls, <a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-vogue-february-cover-photos-reactions-2021-1">one of the symbols of her sorority</a>. And when it came time for the historic day, she tapped Puerto Rican-designer Wilfredo Rosado to design her standout necklace. </p><p>Rosado told <a href="https://wwd.com/accessories-news/jewelry/kamala-harris-wears-custom-pearl-jewelry-by-wilfredo-rosado-for-inauguration-1234702596/">Women's Wear Daily</a> that he received a call in September asking if he would design something for a "female politician who loves pearls." He instantly knew it was for Harris. </p><p>"Kamala is someone I've been following since she threw her hat in the ring for president," he said. "I followed her in the debates, her line of questioning during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, and loved her strength. To have this opportunity was beyond exciting for me." </p><p>The necklace features a gold chain and South Sea pearls, linked together by small diamonds. Rosado said the chain-link design is meant to represent "toughness and also fashion."</p><p>"It looks very classic in terms of execution, but when you see it in person and the movement, it's very glamorous but still tough," he added. "It's a bold necklace, not a classic string of pearls."</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/bidens-harris-wear-us-designers-on-inauguration-melania-wears-chanel-2021-1">The Bidens, Kamala Harris, and Doug Emhoff make a joint statement in American designers on Inauguration Day</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-and-jill-biden-sent-messages-with-outfits-2021-1">Kamala Harris and Jill Biden both sent subtle messages with their outfit choices on the eve of inauguration</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/why-politicians-wore-purple-inauguration-2021-1">Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren all wore purple for Inauguration Day, likely as a sign of bipartisanship</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/jennifer-lopez-inauguration-style-suffragete-white-2021-1">Jennifer Lopez made a statement by wearing head-to-toe white during her inauguration performance</a></li></ul>

All the hidden meanings behind Kamala Harris' Inauguration Day outfit

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="180909" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kamala-Harris">Kamala Harris</keyword> is choosing to spotlight Black, immigrant, and emerging American <keyword id="6" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="fashion">fashion</keyword> designers.</li><li>The vice president's <keyword id="7" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="style">style</keyword> choices are just one way that she is amplifying underrepresented talent. </li><li>She also sends subtle but meaningful messages with her pearls and Converse.</li></ul><p>Vice President <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> is the first female, Black, and South Asian vice president, as well as <a href="https://www.insider.com/daughters-of-immigrants-vp-elect-harris-represents-hope-2020-11">the first person to hold the title whose parents were not born in the United States</a>.</p><p>Nothing can take away from Harris' historic election as vice president.</p><p>That said, in a society where women have experienced greater scrutiny than men for their appearance and what they wear, it's arguably the first time in US history that people are taking an interest in the vice president's fashion.</p><p>Even as she was campaigning and in the months leading up to the inauguration, Harris' fashion sparked conversation. For example, Harris' supporters often talked about her affinity for Converse sneakers, and she made a statement by wearing suffragette white for her victory speech. More recently, some criticized <a href="https://www.insider.com/anna-wintour-responds-kamala-harris-vogue-cover-controversy-2021-1">Harris' print cover for Vogue's February issue, saying it didn't do her "justice."</a></p><p>As vice president, Harris is marking a new era of power-dressing by giving a platform to Black, immigrant, and emerging American fashion designers and sending subtle but meaningful messages with her signature accessories.  </p><h2><strong style="color: #000000;">Harris' support of American designers and Black-owned brands makes a statement</strong></h2><h2><div type="image" title="kamala harris victory speech" height="1275" width="1700" msid="80871546" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>On November 7, 2020, Harris addressed the nation with then-President-elect Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.</p><p>For her first official appearance as the vice president-elect, Harris wore an <a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-white-suit-style-statement-2020-11">all-white suit that was thought to include many powerful messages</a> - including a nod to the suffragette movement. Her pussy-bow blouse was also a potential reference to female empowerment and feminism, and as fashion and costume historian <a href="https://twitter.com/bronze_bombSHEL">Shelby Ivey Christie</a> wrote on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/bronze_bombSHEL/status/1325274364540051456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1325274364540051456%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Fkamala-harris-white-suit-style-statement-2020-110-11">monochromatic dressing often signifies "celebration in the Black community."</a></p><p>Harris not only sent a message of equality and hope with her powerful speech and nod to the suffragists, but she also made a statement by choosing a <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/street-style/a34608709/kamala-harris-white-suit-victory-speech/">suit</a> from Carolina Herrera, a <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/carolina-herrera-2">Venezuelan-born American designer</a> who has a long history of designing clothes for first ladies.</p><div type="image" title="kamala harris covid 19 memorial 2021" height="1233" width="1644" msid="80871547" hostid="261"></div><p>On January 19, the night before Inauguration Day, Harris attended a memorial ceremony honoring Americans who died from COVID-19. She chose a tailored jacket from the Black designer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kerbito/?hl=en">Kerby Jean-Raymond</a>, the founder of fashion label Pyer Moss. </p><p>As Insider's Samantha Grindell reported, the <a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-and-jill-biden-sent-messages-with-outfits-2021-1">vice president's choice to wear Pyer Moss</a> seemed to be her way of recognizing the brand's charitable contributions during the coronavirus pandemic, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-IzdOVjKUp/">which included donations of personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare</a> workers and an initiative to support small businesses.</p><h2><div type="image" title="kamala harris inauguration" height="3045" width="4060" msid="80871548" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>For Inauguration Day on January 21, <a href="https://www.insider.com/kamala-harris-inauguration-day-outfit-meaning-symbolism-2021-1">Harris made a bold statement in a purple outfit that was also packed with potential nods to bipartisanship and suffrage</a>.</p><p>Her look on that historic day sparked conversation for its possible message of unity, but it was also significant because Harris chose to spotlight two young Black designers.</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRcwbcMVLm/">Christopher John Rogers</a>, a designer from Louisiana living in New York City, made her shift dress and overcoat. Harris' shoes were made by Sergio Hudson, from South Carolina, who also designed <a href="https://www.insider.com/michelle-obama-inauguration-outfit-sergio-hudson-2021-1">Michelle Obama's inauguration outfit</a>.</p><h2>Harris is using her power to amplify underrepresented talent</h2><h2><div type="image" title="kamala harris prayer breakfast 2021" height="1019" width="1359" msid="80871549" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>In a similar way to former first lady Michelle Obama, <a href="https://www.insider.com/michelle-obama-wears-dresses-women-immigrants-african-americans-2018-12">who often wore designs from emerging Black-owned brands while in the White House</a>, Harris' style choices are just one way that she's using her power to shine a light on underrepresented creatives, Washington, DC-based stylist and "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lauren-A.-Rothman/e/B00CGQAR72">Style</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lauren-A.-Rothman/e/B00CGQAR72"> </a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lauren-A.-Rothman/e/B00CGQAR72">Bible</a>" author <a href="http://styleauteur.com/">Lauren A. Rothman</a>, told Insider.</p><p>"Spotlighting Black designers helps showcase underrepresented yet talented individuals and their teams who may otherwise have a challenge entering the currently fragmented retail space," Rothman said. "There are many designers, brands, and stores that I'm sure would love to be part of her style narrative."</p><p>Additionally, Harris' apparent choice to spotlight relatively young designers shows that she's investing in them a sense of confidence, according to Hazel Clark, a design and fashion studies professor at Parsons School of Design.</p><p>"These 'underrepresented' voices are, on the other hand, very representative of the diversity of the US population as a whole and of the diversity of bodies, races, genders, ages who wear and are interested in fashion, and who make conscious choices every day about how they look and what they wear as part of their self-identities and presentation in the world," Clark said. </p><p>Since being sworn in as vice president, Harris has continued to wear clothes by American designers, particularly designers of color who are immigrants. </p><p>For example, the day after the inauguration, January 21, Harris wore a garnet dress and matching coat by Prabal Gurung. The outfit was hand-tailored at the brand's studio in New York City, according to <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a35280786/kamala-harris-inaugural-prayer-service-outfit-prabal-gurung/">Harper's Bazaar</a>. <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/prabal-gurung">Gurung</a> was born in Singapore and raised in Nepal and India, and he's dressed other influential figures, including former first lady Michelle Obama.</p><p>On Instagram, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKUG7SUjDPd/">Gurung wrote about the significance of dressing Harris</a>, the daughter of two immigrants.</p><p>"I see @Kamalaharris in all her strength and grace, the child of an immigrant like myself, and I am reminded of the potential of this country," Gurung wrote. "The power to make dreams come true not just for a select few, but for everyone. I am reminded of my mother, sisters, and nieces who can now look to the highest office in the country and see themselves represented. They can see their dreams are possible."</p><div type="image" title="kamala harris altuzarra pantsuit" height="1196" width="1595" msid="80871550" hostid="261"></div><p>On January 22, Harris was pictured at the White House alongside President Biden. She wore pieces made by the designer <a href="https://www.swarthmore.edu/news-events/fashion-designer-joseph-altuzarra-05-his-background-inspiration-and-why-swarthmore">Joseph Altuzarra</a>, who was born in Paris and raised by a Chinese-American mother and a French-Basque father.</p><p>Harris has worn Altuzarra's namesake label on other occasions, including for <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/a34225242/kamala-harris-interview/">the cover of Elle's November 2020 issue</a>. </p><h2>The vice president also sends subtle but meaningful messages with her accessories </h2><div type="image" title="kamala harris sneakers" height="2600" width="3466" msid="80871551" hostid="261"></div><p>Harris' affinity for Converse shoes and pearls has become widely recognized among her supporters.</p><p>In fact, on Inauguration Day, some of Harris' supporters celebrated her by wearing similar sneakers and jewelry. Many <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-vice-president-inauguration-women-glass-ceiling-2021-1">shared their looks online using #ChucksAndPearls2021.</a></p><p>Harris sees the shoes as her "casual go-to," she told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeF8_UcrDz0&amp;feature=emb_titleitle">CBS News Sunday Morning</a> in January.</p><p>"You know, I grew up with Chucks. I just love them. They're comfortable," Harris said. Her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, added that when he met Harris, she was wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors and jeans. </p><p>People seem to admire Harris' love for a shoe that's been a staple of American fashion for decades. It's also another example of her apparent support of US-based fashion brands, as <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140606-art-on-canvas-converse-shoes">the Converse brand was founded in 1908 in Massachusetts</a>.</p><div type="image" title="kamala harris converse" height="1293" width="1723" msid="80871552" hostid="261"></div><p>Harris' signature pearls, on the other hand, are a symbol of her sorority, <a href="https://aka1908.com/about/history">Alpha Kappa Alpha</a>, the first historically Black intercollegiate Greek-letter sorority in America. She joined the organization while attending Howard University.</p><p>Glenda Glover, the international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha and president of Tennessee State University, told <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/08/kamala-harris-pearl-necklace-symbolism-beyond-politics">Vanity Fair</a> that pearls signify leadership, as well as "refinement and wisdom."</p><h2><div type="image" title="kamala harris vice president nomination dnc" height="1855" width="2474" msid="80871553" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Prior to Inauguration Day, Harris hinted that she may continue to send messages with other small style touches.</p><p>In a TikTok video shared by Harris' niece, Meena Harris, the vice president was shown in a neutral pantsuit and teal tube socks that read: "The future is female." The socks are currently <a href="https://www.social-goods.com/products/future-is-female-gym-socks">available for preorder on Social Goods for $13</a>, and benefits <a href="https://sheshouldrun.org/">She Should Run</a>, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to increase the number of women in public office. </p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@meena/video/6917321590745107718" data-video-id="6917321590745107718" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@meena" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meena">@meena</a> <p>IMPEACH NOW</p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Meena Harris" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6917321561636702982">♬ original sound - Meena Harris</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>The vice president's accessories will be one way that she celebrates her individuality through personal style while in office.</p><p>"Kamala Harris is the first woman to occupy this senior political role," Clark said. "She's going to have eyes on her, but she's not going to feel the pressure to be a fashion follower."</p><p>Likewise, Harris' support of American, immigrant, and Black talent through her policies - and as reflected in her clothing choices - will be just one of her many lasting impacts.</p>

Kamala Harris brings a new meaning to power-dressing

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="42076" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Viola-Davis">Viola Davis</keyword>' <keyword id="5962" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vanity-Fair">Vanity Fair</keyword> cover was the first to be shot by a Black photographer in the magazine's 37-year history. </li><li>Photographer Dario Calmese told Insider that he knew the cover was "an opportunity to say something." </li><li>"I knew this cover had to be unabashedly Black," he said. "Unabashedly myself and my history, unabashedly Viola and her history." </li><li>Calmese wanted his portrait to celebrate Davis and subvert the white gaze that has long controlled how Black stories are portrayed. </li></ul><p>As <a href="http://www.dariocalmese.com/">Dario Calmese</a> was photographing <a href="https://www.insider.com/viola-davis-regrets-the-help-criticism-racism-2020-7">Viola Davis on set</a> — her back turned to him, exposed in a backwards, unbuttoned MaxMara dress — he knew he had captured something special. </p><p>"I knew this was an opportunity to say something," Calmese told Insider. "It's <a href="https://www.insider.com/instagram-artists-black-lives-matter-2020-6">my own form of protest</a>."</p><h2>The cover image of Viola Davis, for <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/cover-story-viola-davis">Vanity Fair's July issue</a>, is a historic one</h2><p>Dario Calmese is the first Black photographer to shoot the magazine's cover in its 37-year history.</p><p><div type="image" title="viola davis vanity fair" height="2718" width="2000" msid="76988354" hostid="261"></div></p><p>"I knew this cover had to be unabashedly Black," he said. "Unabashedly myself and my history, unabashedly Viola and her history." </p><p>Calmese says he found inspiration in images from the past, specifically in "The Scourged Back." The 1863 portrait of a runaway slave named Gordon was taken after he found refuge in a camp of Union soldiers, according to <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/302544">The Metropolitan Museum of Art</a>. Published that year in Harper's Weekly, the image — which shows his back turned to the camera, his scars on display — became one of the most famous portraits of enslaved people during the Civil War.</p><p>On the Vanity Fair cover, Davis holds the same pose with her hand on her waist, face in profile, and back exposed. </p><p>But Calmese didn't want his photo to just be a re-creation. He wanted his portrait to celebrate Davis, and subvert the white gaze that has long controlled how Black stories are portrayed. </p><p>"It's definitely not some, 'Oh, look how far we've come,"' he said. "This reference image, for me, it's one that reimagines but also transmutes that pain. It's the transmuting of this gaze, and owning ourselves and owning our own beauty." </p><p>"Viola not only owned the image, she imbued it with a strength and a power," Calmese added. "Even though her back is towards the camera, you can tell she is not to be messed with."</p><h2>Coming on the heels of both the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/conde-nast-employees-racist-video-vetting-process-lizzo-megan-stallion-2020-7">reckoning at Condé Nast</a> and the <a href="https://www.insider.com/protesters-have-turned-white-house-fence-into-memorial-2020-6">ongoing Black Lives Matter protests</a>, the timing may seem intentional</h2><p>Calmese says he discovered he was Vanity Fair's first Black cover photographer at the same time as the magazine. </p><p>"This was not a reactionary moment," Calmese said. "I started shooting for them a year ago and we did the cover."</p><p>After he photographed high-profile stars like Billy Porter, George MacKay, and Adrienne Warren for the magazine, Vanity Fair asked if Calmese would shoot Davis' issue. </p><p>As he began envisioning the shoot, Calmese wanted to find past covers that had been done by Black photographers, but when the editors dug through the archives, the photographer said they found that no one had preceded him. Radhika Jones, Vanity Fair's editor-in-chief, wrote in <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/07/radhika-jones-on-icons-fame-and-evolution">her editor's letter</a> that "to the best of our knowledge" Calmese was the first Black photographer to receive the cover.</p><p><div type="image" title="dario calmese" height="3000" width="2000" msid="76988357" hostid="261"></div></p><p>In the same letter, Jones wrote that Vanity Fair only had 17 covers that featured Black people from 1983 to 2017. Since she took the helm two-and-a-half years ago, the magazine has had 10 Black cover subjects. </p><p>"It is my job, and the magazine's job, to center people who are visionaries, who are moving the culture forward," she wrote.</p><p>Calmese has worked hard to do the same in his own career, shining a light on Black voices through the fashion shows that he directs for designer Kerby Jean-Raymond and the creatives that he hosts <a href="https://anchor.fm/blackimagination">on his podcast,</a> "Institute of Black Imagination." </p><h2>Calmese felt he owed it to Davis and all Black women to 'render her as aesthetically honest and beautiful as possible'</h2><p>"These women are existing and are living full lives," Calmese said of Black women. "But, because of an industry machine that's flattened and reduced, they never see themselves reflected in this place."</p><p>"I am flesh and blood and I am living and thriving and I am sexy and beautiful and yet, I don't see myself reflected anywhere. It's like being a vampire," he said.</p><p>In her interview with Vanity Fair, Davis discussed how she saw a "real absence of dark-skinned Black women" on magazine covers. </p><p>"They've had a problem in the past with putting Black women on the covers," she said.</p><p>"When you couple that with what's going on in our culture, and how they treat Black women, you have a double whammy," she added. "You are putting us in a complete cloak of invisibility." </p><p><div type="image" title="dario calmese" height="3000" width="2000" msid="76988359" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>Calmese's cover comes amid criticism <a href="https://www.insider.com/simone-biles-vogue-cover-photos-photographer-backlash-2020-7"></a><a href="https://www.insider.com/simone-biles-vogue-cover-photos-photographer-backlash-2020-7">surrounding Simone Biles' July cover for Vogue</a> by Annie Leibovitz </h2><p>Many on Twitter said the lighting in the photos did little to accentuate Biles' skin tone. </p><p>"Annie has a very specific way of shooting which I personally love," Calmese said. "But maybe it doesn't always work on everyone. We have to be present to the moment that we're in, and service the people that we are working with." </p><p>"Though I'm Black and queer, I'm still a cis male and so I still have my own blind spots. I wanted to make sure I was rendering Black women in a way they want to be seen," he added, noting that he looked to the work of Black female artists like Alma Thomas, Lorna Simpson, and Carrie Mae Weems "to see how they were representing themselves." </p><p>Calmese also ensured that Davis' skin was not lightened in post-production. <keyword id="108439" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="magazines">Magazines</keyword>, he said, "lighten and brighten everything, it doesn't matter who it is. But I had them bring her skin back down. This is a time for all of us to question what we take as standard, to question the way we've always done it."</p><p>While his cover may be historic, Calmese said there is one very important thing to remember: "Although I'm the first Black photographer who shot the cover for Vanity Fair, I'm not the first Black photographer who could have shot a cover for Vanity Fair."</p><p>Representatives for Vanity Fair and Viola Davis did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/viola-davis-regrets-the-help-criticism-racism-2020-7">Viola Davis reveals more about why she regrets starring in 'The Help' and how it feels like a self-betrayal</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/simone-biles-vogue-cover-photos-photographer-backlash-2020-7">Fans are applauding Simone Biles' Vogue cover story, but many argue her photos are proof that magazines need to hire Black photographers</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/instagram-artists-black-lives-matter-2020-6">Meet the artists behind the powerful Black Lives Matter artwork being shared across social media</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/british-tabloids-finally-acknowledged-meghan-markles-racism-struggle-2020-6">The British tabloids have finally acknowledged Meghan Markle's struggle with racism — but they're 6 months too late</a></li></ul>

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