Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga champion couture and diamonds for their Inauguration performances

On the day of Joe Biden's Inauguration, French fashion houses certainly were out in force. Jennifer Lopez opted for Chanel when she took to the stage after Vice President Kamala Harris's swearing-in ceremony, wearing a dazzling all-white outfit to sing This Land Is Your Land and America The Beautiful.

Under her shin-length coat with silver buttons was a cream chiffon shirt and wide-leg trousers, worn with Jimmy Choo’s Max platform sandals. Lopez’s clothes were ultra-luxe but somehow still more understated than her accessories which were, well, large.

Her Chanel pearl earrings, pearl bracelets and multi-layer gold chain belt were almost as eye-catching as her $1 million diamond ring – a gift from her husband Alex Rodriguez – which glittered in the winter sunshine.

Lopez’s outfit brought to mind not only the clothes she wore this morning – her first head-to-toe Chanel ensemble of Inauguration day consisted of a houndstooth jacket, trousers, shirt and belt from the brand’s autumn/ winter 2020 collection – but also another fiftysomething fan of the French fashion house.

Earlier today, Melania Trump left The White House in a jacket from Chanel’s Metier d’Arts collection - an all-black outfit that stood in direct contrast to J-Lo’s all-white ensemble.

Watch: Music’s biggest stars give jaw-dropping inauguration performances

If they were characters in a film, you would say that the costume designers had been too heavy handed on the symbolism, but result ensured that Melania – while looking undeniably chic – had an almost funereal air as she and her husband departed for Mar-a-Lago, while Lopez looked infused with hope.

Although the angelic colour choice perhaps hid some of the anxiety Lopez felt about her performance today. In a virtual chat that she and Rodriguez participated in with President Biden and the First Lady yesterday, Rodriguez said that even though his wife had performed for far bigger crowds before, “she's most nervous about Washington, D.C. because of the responsibility.” Hopefully Chanel helped soothe her nerves.

Not to be outdone on the accessories front was Lady Gaga, whose outfit was very Hunger Games meets Ancient Greece. Gaga sang the national anthem, a role that Beyoncé was previously given during President Obama's Inauguration. For this, she wore a voluminous red skirt (that’s one way to promote social distancing) with a tight navy jacket – and on top of it was an almost life-size golden dove brooch, which is the international symbol of peace.

The fitted jacket in cashmere and skirt in washed red silk faille was custom Schiaparelli haute couture, designed by Daniel Roseberry, who also helped make the enormous dove brooch. On her hands were the Elodie long leather gloves by British glove-maker and royal favourite Cornelia James. Gold was woven into Lady Gaga's hair and even her microphone and earpiece were coordinated.

“As an American living in Paris, this ensemble is a love letter to the country I miss so dearly and to a performer whose artistry I have so long admired,” said Roseberry, who is creative director of the brand. “Maison Schiaparelli is honored to have this chance to dress the iconic Lady Gaga on this historic inauguration day. God Bless Lady Gaga and God Bless America.”

Gaga’s braided hairdo was also reminiscent of an image she uploaded yesterday to Instagram from the Capitol. Underneath the dome of the building, the singer was pictured wearing an all-white, sweeping, custom cape dress courtesy of Givenchy by Matthew Williams, which she paired with a matching face mask.

In a departure from the last four years, today’s inauguration saw not only performances by two of the music industry's biggest stars but outfits by some of the fashion industry’s biggest names – brands that are, once again, more than happy to promote the relationship between clothes and the politicians and celebrities who wear them.

Hollywood Stars Respond to History-Making Inauguration Day | THR News