Both VP Kamala Harris And Michelle Obama Rocked Black Designers For The Inauguration
Many people in the fashion world know that having your designs paraded around on some of the biggest names in entertainment, is designer gold. It's the sure way to catapult your name and brand above the status quo; to cross over the threshold of fashion, to designer in high-demand.
In, walks Sergio Hudson. Originally from South Carolina, the young black brainchild behind his top tier Sergio Hudson Designs, has worked with celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Kelly Osbourne and Pharrell Williams. Additionally, he advanced throughout this extremely competitive industry, to emerge a winner when his designs were chosen by singer and fashion icon Rihanna.
Christopher John Rogers is a young, Black, and queer, rising star, who founded his New York label in 2016, was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and studied fashion at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Each are making waves as he dressed both Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama for Joe Biden's Presidential Inauguration. The former First Lady opted to wear a light plum suit by Sergio Hudson, which featured high-waist, wide-leg pants, a cozy turtleneck, and a floor-length coat, all tied together with a statement-making gold-hardware belt. She killlllled the look, sending the world wide web into a freenzy, accessorizing with black suede Stuart Weitzman boots, a black Christy Rilling face mask (which was simple, but set the 'fit out), and black leather gloves.
Oh, and sis was wearing the curls for the girls, as she donned a bomb silk press for the people, literally causing the word 'LAID' to begin trending on Twitter!
This isn't the first time Michelle has repped Sergio Hudson. That purple power suit she snatched our edges with in 2019, well, that was custom-made by Sergio too.
Getty / Paras Griffin
Vice President Kamala Harris wore a Christopher John Rogers ensemble, a calf-length peacoat and matching dress, complete with pearls to symbolize her AKA roots. Rogers is known for having an eye for color, and his choice of an iridescent purple for today's inauguration is almost certainly a symbolic one.
Additionally, for the candlelight vigil at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to honor of the more than 400,000 lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris wore a camel coat by Pyer Moss, another New York label designed by a young Black talent. Pyer Moss' founder Kerby Jean-Raymond, who is the son of Haitian immigrants, gained steam when he transformed his studio into a PPE donation center and provided emergency grants for women- and minority-owned small businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
And let's just say, the people are here for it all!
Reclaiming titles:
Making grand entrances:
Snatching wigs:
Picking up on the shade:
And celebrating the MAGIC!
Alexa, play "Brown Skin Girl".
Alexa, play 'Brown Skin Girl!'
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Featured image by Getty Images
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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