Kamala Harris Wears Custom Sequin Gown While Addressing the Congressional Black Caucus, Sending a Poignant Message

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Vice President Kamala Harris continues to make poignant fashion statement after poignant fashion statement on the 2024 campaign trail.

On Saturday, Sept. 14, while attending The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Legislative Conference Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C., the Democratic nominee for president shined in a custom, black sequin gown designed by up-and-coming Black designer, LaQuan Smith.

The sparkling, long-sleeve, floor-length gown sent a poignant message to the crowd, who were there to recognize inspirational individuals who have made significant contributions to American society.

“The choice was a fitting one, given the evening aimed to spotlight Black excellence in all forms, and the shimmering silhouette felt both formal and celebratory,” Vogue‘s Christian Allaire writes, adding that Vice President Harris wore a “gold, sequin button-down top” designed by Smith last year while enjoying Beyoncé’s iconic Renaissance tour in Maryland.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris seen onstage during The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Legislative Conference Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 14, 2024 in Washington, DC.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The evening marked just one of many campaign moments in which the presidential candidate has used fashion to make a statement and convey a message to would-be voters.

During the historic Democratic National Convention (DNC)—in which Vice President Harris became the first Black and South Asian woman to accept a major political party’s nomination for president—the candidate wore a deep, dark blue Chloé power suit with a slew of coded meanings.

In what is referred to as “color psychology,” dark blue represents and can evoke feelings of “tranquility and deep reflection.” It can also bring about emotions of trust and reliability.

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Vice President Harris’ matching pussy-bow blouse also carried historic and feminist meaning—the look became an alternative to the suit and tie in the ’60s and ’70s, when women stepped out of the kitchen and into the corporate world. In the ’80s, it became a symbol of female power when Margaret Thatcher became the first female U.K. Prime Minister and adopted the pussy-bow as a staple of her political image.

 U.S. President Joe Biden introduces Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 2024 Phoenix Awards at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on September 14, 2024 in Washington, DC. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

When Vice President Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination for president, those in attendance also used fashion to send a message: women (and some men) wore white in honor of the women’s suffrage movement.

On the first night of the DNC, during a surprise appearance, Vice President Harris wore another Chloé suit, this time in tan, designed by creative director Chemena Kamali—an apparent nod to former President Barack Obama, who Republicans infamously criticized for wearing the khaki color to press conferences.

(Although technically, her suit was a “coconut brown” color, likely a reference to her mega-viral “you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” meme.)

Harris also wore a set of pearls during the DNC, which she also wore to her 2021 inauguration as Vice President—an homage to her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

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