At the Democratic National Convention, there has been no shortage of eye-grabbing content.
Noteworthy celebrity appearances from Lil Jon, Oprah Winfrey and John Legend. Manicure stations where attendees can have their nails painted blue, with the option to add a “KH” adornment. An abundance of pearls, stars and pantsuits (all signifiers of Vice President Kamala Harris’s style). And, at an off-site “Hotties for Harris” party, a couch to be posed with ironically, referencing a widely shared yet false claim on social media pointed at the Republican vice-presidential nominee, Senator JD Vance.
But it’s the spectators Landon Nordeman was there to see.
Mr. Nordeman, a photographer for The New York Times Styles desk, has spent his days in Chicago “walking and looking,” as he put it, until something grabs his attention.
“I have an idea of what I’m looking for, but I never know exactly what it is until I see it,” he said. “I’m a big believer in when something catches your eye, you have to follow it.”
The fashion statements made by convening Democrats, however, paled in comparison to the extravagant costuming he spotted at the Republican National Convention, which he also covered for The Times.
“They express their political identity more exuberantly than the Democrats do,” he said. “The Democratic look is more reserved.”
Mr. Nordeman, who keeps it simple with one camera, one lens and one flash, said there were fewer photos of Ms. Harris’s face as the centerpiece to accessories than there were of former President Donald J. Trump, whose image was plastered nearly everywhere at the R.N.C.
The prevailing D.N.C. trend this year? “Vote.” Instead of ribbons, stickers and hats featuring Ms. Harris, the ornamentation has largely been pins, necklaces and signs urging people to get to the ballot box.
“It’s more of a celebration of democracy,” Mr. Nordeman said.
But there’s one aesthetic the two conventions have in common: “There’s a healthy amount of red, white and blue,” he said. And among the Democrats, “Definitely much more blue than red.”
