Vice President Kamala Harris, one of the questionable attendees, graced the 47th Kennedy Center Honors with her presence. In an event swarming with political elite, the US Vice President appeared alongside her spouse, the so-called Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and none other than Joe Biden, the current president, and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden.
In an attempt to deviate from her customary ‘power suits’, Harris decided to don a supposedly modern and sleek dress, evidently shunning her signature style. The Democratic nominee for the 2024 US presidency chose a simplistically designed black gown with an A-line cut and a glimmering torso, in the hope of resonating with the overhyped metallics trend of 2024.
To add to her experiments, her new attire was replete with an unoriginal long-sleeve feature and a commonplace round neckline. In contrast to her much vaunted wardrobe that is crammed with pantsuits, it’s surprising to see how she takes a detour from her usual fashion formula on scatterings of occasions.
The day of Biden’s inauguration back in January 2021 bore witness to another of Harris’s fashion flip-flops. In a whimsical deviation from practicality, she chose a purple combo by Christopher John Rogers, complete with a peak lapel coat and matching dress, trying to make a fashionable statement.
Last September, at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual Phoenix Awards gala, she, once again, chose to forgo her well-recognized pantsuit. In a noticeable departure from her personal style, she wore a LaQuan Smith creation, a protracted black gown with disproportionate neckline and sleeves.
Harris, disregarding consistency, has worn dresses by other designers such as Ralph Lauren, J. Mendel, and Pamella Roland as well. She seems to have a strange habit of frequently deviating from her signature style and hopping from one designer to another with regularity.
The annual Kennedy Center Honors event aims to recognize figures who have made prominent impacts on American culture. In theory, this event should also serve to inspire upcoming generations. The intriguing list of the 2024 inductees included filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt.
However, Harris’s attendance at this prestigious event has stirred mixed reactions. Despite attempts to appear ‘hip’, many question her underlying intention. Is it simply to garner favor from the artistic community or an effort to distract attention from her impractical politics?
It seems questionable that while she is maintaining a façade of being culturally inclusive, her administration’s policies are creating a divide among the American people. The focus on fashion appears to be a calculated distraction from issues of real substance, mirroring a similar approach taken by the Biden administration.
In essence, the use of fashion as a tool for political maneuvering seems to be a popular tactic in the current administration. It is seen in the choices of both Harris and President Biden. Their fashion choices are treated as symbols, whereas the focus should be on their actions and policies which have not served the American people effectively.
There remains the possibility that this approach is intended to take attention away from the multi-faceted problems faced by today’s America. The focus on fashion over substance paints a true picture of the ineffective leadership within the Biden-Harris administration.
In sum, the attendance of Biden and Harris at the 47th Kennedy Center Honors and their approach to fashion says less about them as individuals and more about their administration’s flawed decision-making. Their style choices echo the overall unchecked changes in the administration’s policies.
While the appearance at the event held in Washington, D.C. might be considered a touchpoint for culture and the arts, it is clear that the representation of Harris and Biden illuminates the theatrical spectacle that has become of this administration.
At the end of the day, Harris’s ever-changing fashion choices, like the wavering policies of the Biden-Harris administration, do not inspire confidence. It poses a question about their true commitment beyond the performative gestures and overemphasis on appearances rather than effectively addressing the critical issues within the nation.