Following US President Joe Biden's near-calamitous debate performance against Donald Trump, it appears first lady Dr. Jill Biden is trying to convey a sense of Business As Usual, as was evident by her choice of dress on Friday when she and the President travelled to North Carolina for a campaign rally. The dress had a clear message: Do not stay home on Election Day.
"When Joe falls down, he gets back up, and that's what we're doing today," she said, emboldened by the word "Vote" printed all over the blue Christian Siriano dress.
"A vote for Biden is a vote for human and civil rights," said Siriano in an interview with Page Six. "As a young American designer, what we can do is give our clothes a voice. I hope this speaks to you. Now let's get to work!"
This isn't Siriano's first "First Lady venture." He previously designed dresses for Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris. "When you get to design clothes for these women, the whole world sees them," said the winner of the 4th season of the "Project Runway" reality show.
Over the past four years, Siriano's "Vote" print has become one of the most popular among American celebrities, including musician Lizzo and actresses Julianne Moore, Julia Roberts and Sarah Hyland. The print first appeared in September 2020 at the designer's Spring-Summer 2021 show, two months before the previous U.S. elections. At that time, Siriano told Vogue it was his duty as a designer to use his platform for meaningful causes. "As designers, our clothes are our voice, and the visual response is the way we can make people pay attention," Siriano said.
Siriano's dress transitioned from fashion columns to political commentary after American and global media over the weekend discussed the blow Biden received following the debate against Trump, during which the incumbent president appeared to stutter and lose focus. Since the debate, Dr. Jill Biden, who has faced criticism for clinging to the role of First Lady, has been engaged in damage control. Political commentators have identified her as the most influential figure on the president, and the one who will decide whether he withdraws from the presidential race or not.