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| On my desk: FCTRY Action Figures and my Official Inaugural Announcement |
I know we're now in the fourth week of January...
...but as far as I'm concerned - the new year started at 12:01 last Wednesday, when Kamala Harris and Joe Biden were sworn in as Vice-President and President of the United States.
If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, it should come as no surprise that I am going to write about our new Vice President...
...and pearls.
I don't know about your social media feeds, but on Inauguration Day, mine was flooded with posts from women wearing pearls (and Chucks, if they had them...sadly I do not).
For this post, most of the photos of the Vice President and her jewelry - as well as some of the background information on the pieces - are courtesy of the wonderful Instagram account Kamala's Closet.
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| 📷 @kamalascloset AKA lapel pin |
As an undergraduate student at Howard University, Ms. Harris became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA*) sorority, the first intercollegiate Historically Black Greek Letter Society in America. AKA was founded at Howard in 1908, by a group of women known collectively as the "20 Pearls". There are 20 pearls incorporated into the design of the sorority's official pin; they surround an ivy leaf logo. So, certainly that's a big part of it...
...an article on WhoWhatWear has a slide show of the Vice President wearing pearls that covers 35 years...back to her Howard University graduation in 1986.
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| 📷 @kamalascloset Irene Neuwirth Gumball Pearl |
I began supporting Kamala Harris for President pretty much from the time she announced - when there was still a cast of thousands vying for the nomination - and that's when I first noticed her pearls. She wore an Irene Neuwirth necklace (a designer I love and follow) for multiple television interviews.
I don't imagine I will ever own a piece of her jewelry, but at the beginning of the pandemic, Irene Neuwirth sold beautiful, reversble masks made from Liberty of London fabric as a fundraiser for Campaign Zero. I bought one - and it came with a lovely handwritten note.
Anyhow...back to the Vice President...
For her inauguration, Ms. Harris wore a custom pearl and diamond necklace created by jeweler Wilfredo Rosado. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, the jeweler said
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| 📷 @kamalascloset |
“The necklace has a few unifying themes; the gold chain link symbolizes strength, the pearl is representative of both femininity and resilience, and the diamonds add a hint of glamour that I felt was perfect for the occasion”
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| 📷@ireneneuwirth |
For the evening inaugural festivities, the Vice President returned to Irene Neuwirth, who created this spectacular pair of bespoke earrings - with 20 PEARLS!!
The Vice President isn't the first high profile woman in public office to make a statement with her jewelry. Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright often used her pins to send a message about the state of the world, her mood, or sometimes even how she felt about foreign leaders.
Like other aspects of her political career - first in California, then the US Senate, and now as Vice President of the United States - Ms. Harris' sartorial choices have the power to send strong messages. By wearing clothes and jewelry designed and made in America, by women - especially women of color - she reinforces the value of art and creativity, and promotes the concept of "if you can see it, you can be it".
For the next four years, and hopefully many more after that, we can look to Kamala Harris to show by example that the future is creative and female!
* Side Note: one of the last pieces I made before we went into pandemic shut down was a custom pendant - a gift for an AKA Sister. I did some research before making the piece, and it's been thrilling to have even a small connection to VP Harris' community.
Until next time.
