By Lily Elwood | Oct. 3, 2021

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2021’s Met Gala, themed “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” predictably resulted in many guests arriving in garments that critiqued issues in modern American society. At such a largely covered event that hosts several politicians every year, some celebrities used their time on the stairs to send a political message. 

Among those who watched the livestream of the Met Gala or caught up on the best dressed the next day, many have debated if the Met Gala is the place to make a political statement, and if statements like this, made at such an elite event, could be rendered anything but performative.

Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, often referred to as AOC, was one well-known guest who made a controversial political statement. What seemed to be a plain white dress from the front had the words “TAX THE RICH” emblazoned in red on the back. 

Many progressives were upset by this, being that she was at an event that essentially celebrates obscene amounts of wealth, attended by celebrities who spend large sums of money on extravagant outfits that will be worn once. They took her message as a slap in the face, believing her message would hardly make an impact on the privileged guests who attend the Met Gala. Remembering AOC as the woman who fought alongside climate activists and got her hands dirty in the issues she cared about, progressives were offended by the fact that she would go to such an elite event and spout performative messages.

Conservatives also hopped on the argument to comment on the dress, agreeing that it was hypocritical to talk about siding with the working class and fighting back against the elite while simultaneously joining and participating in elite groups. 

On both sides of the political spectrum, it was often brought up that a ticket to the Met Gala costs a whopping $30,000, and that if AOC spent that money on a ticket it would be in direct opposition to her message of taxing the rich. However, AOC supporters rejected this argument, saying that she was invited to go for free, as politicians often are, and she was also loaned the dress by Aurora James, an activist designer of color. 

Those who supported AOC’s choice of clothing and statement argued that she had shown up to an event where the rich are gathered together for fashion’s biggest night, and brought the message directly to them in a way that they could not ignore. 

AOC’s salary is public; we know that she makes about $174,000 per year. Her supporters have said that the dress’s call to action was not directed toward people like her, or even people who make $500,000 a year. She was targeting her message at the ultra-rich 1%, those who make billions of dollars per year, and therefore her supporters do not find her message hypocritical. 

Either way, her dress certainly got people talking about the issue of whether or not to increase taxes on the elite, super-rich members of society, so perhaps it is a success in her book regardless of how people perceived it.