Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Met Gala Dress Had a Stark Message
"This woman has more balls than any man in Congress," one fan said of the look.
![new york, new york september 13 alexandria ocasio cortez attends the 2021 met gala celebrating in america a lexicon of fashion at metropolitan museum of art on september 13, 2021 in new york city photo by kevin mazurmg21getty images for the met museumvogue](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L3tVmuxVdUjYGjMXXQ287W-415-80.jpg)
It's the first Met Gala for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), and the representative absolutely did not waste her moment. She's in a white Brother Vellies dress (with matching Brother Vellies shoes), according to Vogue, with the back reading in bright red lettering, "Tax the rich." It's very much in line with her policies and also an impressively impactful statement, given the visibility of the event. Her bag repeats the messaging, just in case we missed it the first time. I love her.
Fans on Twitter also loved it and were impressed—particularly that she chose the high fashion, star-studded event to do it: "AOC wearing this dress at an event full of rich people ... this woman has more balls than any man in Congress." And "AOC wearing a Tax the Rich dress at the #MetGala with Kris Jenner over her shoulder wow icon." According to Andrea González-Ramírez, there's another, more subtle message in her look: She's also wearing a flor de maga (the national flower of Puerto Rico). AOC has advocated for Puerto Rico in the past, including civil rights and disaster relief.
AOC walked with Aurora James, who started the 15 Percent Pledge (to bring 15 percent or more of Black-owned businesses to major brands like Target) and is founder of Brother Vellies. In James' own words:
“We can never get too comfortable in our seats at the table once they’ve been given ... We must always continue to push ourselves, push our colleagues, push the culture and push the country forward. Fashion is changing, America is changing. And as far as this theme goes, I think Alexandria and I are a great embodiment of the language fashion needs to consider adding to the general lexicon as we work towards a more sustainable, inclusive, and empowered future.”
Here's the full picture of the gown:
And another angle:
And the front (so deceptively simple!!):
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Here's a picture of it in motion:
Rep. @AOC on the #MetGala red carpet in a dress that reads Tax the Rich. pic.twitter.com/nq87zCdm8zSeptember 13, 2021
Gorgeous. And meaningful!
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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.
Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
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