AOC made a splash with her Met Gala dress

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Written by Megan C. Hills, CNN

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attended the 2021 Met Gala on Monday night with a bright red message to Americans: “Tax the rich.”

Wearing an off-the-shoulder white dress from Brooklyn-based designer label Brother Vellies, the New York politician revealed the statement, scribbled in bold print on the back of her dress, as she walked up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Debuting at the Met Gala, Ocasio-Cortez completed the look with signature gold hoops and a single rose flower pinned into her updo.

Speaking to reporters at the event, she explained why she brought her message to the Met Gala, an event attended by many of Hollywood’s biggest and richest stars.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends the 2021 Met Gala with Brother Vellies founder Aurora James who designed her dress. Credit: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

“When we talk about supporting working families and when we talk about having a fair tax code, that conversation often takes place between working people and the middle class (in) the Senate.

“I think it’s time to bring all classes into the conversation,” she continued.

Ocasio-Cortez’s choice of white echoed the long history of women in Congress wearing the shadows in reference to the women’s suffrage movement. She wore a white suit during her swearing-in ceremony in 2019, later saying on Twitter that it was in honor of “the women who paved the way before me, and for all women to come.” the creamy red carpet of Brother Vellies Artistic Director Aurora James, known for spearheading an initiative known as the “15% Pledge”. The engagement, which started on Instagram, urges retailers and businesses to devote 15% of their purchasing power to supporting black-owned businesses.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shows her message to the waiting photographers. Credit: Kevin Mazur / MG21 / Getty Images

While the dress was celebrated by many onlookers as daring and subversive, critics called the move hypocritical – pointing to the fact that she rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous at an event that cost $ 35,000 for one. ticket.

Vanessa Friedman, chief fashion critic at The New York Times, said on Twitter: “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attending the #MetGala at $ 35,000 per ticket in a Brother Vellies dress shouting ‘Tax the Rich’ is a complicated proposition.”

Others have taken a stronger stance. Political commentator Ana Navarro-Cárdenas wrote on Twitter: “Not a @aoc hater. But come on, attending an event for the super-rich with ‘tax the rich’ written on your ass, won’t change a thing. a stunt to justify his presence to a chic shin that doesn’t match his political personality. “

Meanwhile, James addressed criticism in an interview with CNN, saying, “I think at the end of the day a lot of these conversations we have about economic justice are usually taking place in spaces with people from across the country. the working class… and (the congresswoman) wanted to make sure that this message got into this room and into a group of people who ultimately need to be more willing to be more liberal with their economic values ​​as well. ”

AOC’s “Tax the Rich” Dress Designer Responds to Criticism

Other bold statements were presented at the annual fundraiser, which generates money for the Met’s Costume Institute and borrows its theme from the museum’s latest exhibit (this year, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” ). Earlier, football star Megan Rapinoe was seen wearing a clutch bag that read “In Gay We Trust,” while Ocasio-Cortez colleague Carolyn B. Maloney arrived in a vibrant dress covered in a text in bold which said “Equal rights for women”.

On Twitter, Maloney addressed her bold outfit, which celebrates the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. She wrote: “Across the country, women’s rights are under attack. “

“As the Met Costume Institute reopens (with its) inaugural exhibit celebrating American designers, I call 4 ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) certification so women can be equal once and for all,” he said. she continued.

Other stars interpreted the all-American theme by paying homage to American icons, channeling old Hollywood, and paying homage to the melting pot of diverse cultures across the country.

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