On Inauguration Day, Fashion Can Speak as Loudly as Words

A professor in SHU’s fashion program talks about politicians’ sartorial choices and the impact on the industry

With Inauguration Day just days away, what fashion styles will capture the public’s attention, and how will that impact those who work in fashion marketing and merchandising?

We asked Dave Loranger, an assistant professor in Sacred Heart’s Bachelor of Science fashion marketing & merchandising program, about fashion as a tool of communication, as well as the significance of inaugural fashions and their impact on the fashion industry.

“Iconic looks or attention to fashion and appearance is not necessarily new when it comes to politics or politicians. An early example would be President Abraham Lincoln’s iconic stovepipe hat,” Loranger said. “Fashion is a powerful form of communication, and people have long derived meaning from the fashion they see.”

But he added that with television, particularly beginning in the 1960s, and with today’s social media platforms, the fashion choices that politicians, their family members and other leaders make are now seen immediately by millions of people from around the world, providing a huge platform to make a statement.

“Today, with social media, how you craft your appearance—your brand—is ever more important. Social media is everywhere, all the time,” said Loranger, adding that many fashion professionals, such as stylists, are often behind the carefully crafted looks. “The message you communicate to your constituents, or your potential constituents, is greatly amplified.”

For fashion marketers and merchandisers, this attention can impact on trends, brand visibility and consumer engagement.

Tracking the Trends

Inauguration Day fashions can kick off a surge of interest in a particular style of clothing or color. In 2021, the yellow Prada coat Amanda Gorman wore to recite her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” became as much a sensation as the poet herself. The jacket quickly sold out.

Through social media, advertising, retail websites or in-store displays, fashion marketers and merchandisers can quickly pivot to feature items that look like the sought-after item or highlight items of a similar color, said Loranger, who before entering academia spent a 17-year career in the fashion industry—most recently overseeing men’s tailored clothing at Bergdorf Goodman. In today’s fast fashion environment, some brands might even consider launching a new product.

Paying attention to public interest in certain designers or noting shifts in tone or mood during an inauguration can also indicate where fashion trends are headed. At SHU, students learn the tools and knowledge to assess those shifts, Loranger said, helping them to better predict what consumers will crave.

Boosting Visibility and Recognition

Before former First Lady Michelle Obama wore the white chiffon dress designed by Jason Wu for the inaugural ball in 2009, Wu was relatively unknown. But that boost in visibility pushed the designer, and his collection at Bergdorf Goodman, into the limelight. Loranger said the retail store quickly capitalized on that success by marketing and promoting his collection and featuring his designs in its windows.

Success doesn’t have to be spectacular to provide fashion marketers with opportunities to boost their brand, Loranger said. For instance, if President-elect Donald Trump sticks with tradition and wears a suit and tie by Brooks Brothers, which has dressed nearly every American president for inauguration, this men’s clothing company could capitalize on that through social media and other promotional opportunities.

Loranger noted that many of SHU’s fashion students are also pursuing a digital marketing minor, which gives them even more tools to dive into the latest techniques, to better position brands and create effective marketing strategies—whether dealing with an overnight success or sustained popularity.

Consumer Engagement

When politicians have a particular style or use fashion to champion certain ideals or designers, or honor a historical movement, it can lead to supporters coalescing around that look or statement, Loranger said. For example, in 2016, supporters of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pledged to show their support by adopting her signature pantsuit style and wearing white, a color long associated with American suffragists.

Trump supporters have had an accessory of their own for some time—the MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat.

When the public rallies around a politician through fashion it can create emotional and cultural connections that brands can tap into, such as aligning their message to unifying themes or looking for collections or product lines that carry symbolic meaning that will resonate with consumers.

Tomorrow’s Trendsetters and Trend Trackers

Those working in fashion marketing and merchandising must be agile and strategic to harness the potential of high-profile events where fashion plays a significant role. At SHU, Loranger said students not only gain marketing and merchandising fundamentals but also are encouraged to know about design.

With this dual approach, students in the program can learn how to research and analyze data for trends and strategic planning, but they also get a sense of what goes into the design. Loranger said that a comprehensive approach can better prepare them to work with a wider range of fashion professionals and provide them with more tools to predict where fashion is headed.

Interested in a career in fashion?

In SHU's fashion marketing & merchandising program, students gain firsthand knowledge about branding, global market trends and retail strategies through classes led by faculty with real-world, on-the-job fashion industry experience. Students also gain industry knowledge from guest lecturers and professional experience through internship opportunities with some of the top fashion companies in the world, including Ralph Lauren, Alo Yoga, Reebok and Chanel.

You can learn more about SHU’s Bachelor of Science in fashion marketing & merchandising by visiting SHU’s undergraduate admissions webpage or by calling 203-371-7880.