Amanda Gorman Makes 2020 International Best-Dressed List as the Only Newcomer
Somewhere in between's Lady Gaga's Schiaparelli Haute Couture dove number and Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton's synchronized purple ensembles, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman shined on stage during President Joe Biden's Inauguration Day ceremony in vibrant yellow Prada coat and equally bold red headband. The 22-year-old recited her original poem, "The Hill We Climb," which struck listeners around the world with its open reflection on the attack on the United States Capitol Building, as well as its optimistic consideration for the nation's future. Following the event, the Harvard graduate has received widespead recognition for her talent: IMG Models signed her as a new client, NFL commissioner Roger Goddell invited her to recite a poem before the Superbowl, and more recently, Air Mail listed Gorman as the only new face on the 2020 International Best-Dressed List.
The list was started in 1940 by New York fashion icon Eleanor Lambert, founder of the CFDA Fashion Awards, New York Fashion Week, and the Met Gala, as a nomination process for the International Best-Dressed List Hall of Fame. This year's 80th-anniversary list compiles a restrospective on the 20 most important Hall of Fame nominees since the list's creation. Early contenders (and eventual inductees) include include pillars of style like Grace Kelly, Diana Vreeland, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Princess Diana, as well as supermodels Iman and Kate Moss. More contemporary nominees who have yet reach official Hall of Fame status include Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
Gorman, Air Mail Editor-at-Large Amy Fine Collins, writes, "fully embraces the metaphorical meaning of clothing," praising her referencial Inauguration Day fashion (she wore a ring, a gift from Oprah Winfrey, as an homage to President Clinton's inaugural poet Maya Angelou).
When speaking of ruminating on her style, Gorman said, "I’m a black woman with a powerful pen and a big heart, and I like my look to reflect that pride."
