Who Is Sergio Hudson, The Designer Behind Two Of Inauguration Day’s Most Spectacular Looks?

Joe Biden had a pretty good day yesterday, but, looking through a fashion lens, another man completely stole the show. Sergio Hudson was responsible for two of Inauguration Day’s most well-calculated and, yes, chic outfits: Michelle Obama’s wine-coloured look that she wore for the swearing-in ceremony (the sweeping coat, the polo neck and the flaring trousers added together were sublime in terms of proportion and colour) and Kamala Harris’s equally elegant one-button black coat to watch the evening performances on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Sergio Hudson founded his brand in the mid-noughties after getting his big break on a television show called Styled to Rock, where one very famous guest judge – Rihanna – chose his designs to eventually crown him the winner.

Producing every piece he makes in LA, and specialising in the kind of impeccable tailoring that can be both androgynous and sensual, he has gone on to dress the likes of Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae and Beyoncé in his jewel-bright clothes that evoke joy. His most loyal supporter, however, is Obama. She’s a repeat-wearer of Hudson, choosing his silk eggplant suit for her book tour and a sequined jumpsuit at New Orleans’s Essence Festival in 2020. Both outfits came with the kind of cinched-waist belt that she also wore yesterday, a detail which took each look from polished to pretty much kapow in the fashion stakes.

As a Black designer working in the US, Hudson has been an outspoken critic on social media, unafraid to call out what really needs to change to make the fashion industry a more diverse space. ‘The number one reason a Black designer has not been able to ascend to the heights of a legacy brand is money. There is no lack of talent or ideas. We are the trendsetters, we are the muses and inspirations of most fashion trends throughout history. The fact is they do not want to invest in us,’ he posted in June 2020.

Speaking to WWD, Hudson talked about what it meant to be such a visible part of yesterday’s inauguration as a Black designer. ‘As a father of daughters, African-American daughters, it means more to me than any project I’ve ever done. To be a part of something this historic, it’s changing the landscape of how my daughters will see themselves in the future,' he said. 'I want to normalize African American designers being American sportswear designers. We don’t just do urban wear, or crazy couture looking clothes. We are your Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. That’s the lane I want to be in, that has not been carved out, but as we saw today, for a person of color, the door can open wide for everyone. Today, it was the signal to the world I can go toe to toe with any designer.’

While we shouldn’t expect an administration that majors ‘fashion statements’ - both Harris and Dr Jill Biden reportedly told designers who sent ideas for inauguration outfits that they didn’t want to send a ‘fashion message’, according to The Guardian - a bigger statement lies in the choices they make about who to wear. With Hudson sure to have a major role in the wardrobe of the Madame Vice President, big changes surely will follow in fashion.