Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) made a statement during an appearance at the Met Gala by wearing a dress that said “tax the rich.”
Fox News noted tickets to the event cost at least $30,000. It is unclear whether Ocasio-Corez bought a ticket, but she indicated she was invited for being a lawmaker.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes a statement at the #MetGala. https://t.co/vaX97iQM2B pic.twitter.com/0YFb26ARBd
— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2021
Reactions to her move were mixed, including some who praised her for making the statement while others suggested it is hypocritical.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attending the $35,000-a-ticket #MetGala in a Brother Vellies gown blaring "Tax the Rich" is a complicated proposition. pic.twitter.com/prxOojWxwx
— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) September 14, 2021
aoc wearing the words tax the rich on her dress? simply iconic #MetGala pic.twitter.com/utsxXBXEIl
— ilana kaplan (@lanikaps) September 13, 2021
Just admit it. @AOC is good at this. pic.twitter.com/0Im5w5DiZi
— Chris Hahn (@ChristopherHahn) September 14, 2021
Cost per Ticket: $30,000.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 14, 2021
Virtue signaling to your base while partying—without a mask—with the people you claim to hate: Priceless. https://t.co/51bVQqZNn1
Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter to explain the significance of her dress while also addressing critics.
“The medium is the message… The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the rich,” she wrote.
The Democrat added, “And before haters get wild flying off the handle, New York elected officials are routinely invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing and supporting the city’s cultural institutions for the public. I was one of several in attendance in this evening.”
And before haters get wild flying off the handle, New York elected officials are routinely invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing and supporting the city’s cultural institutions for the public. I was one of several in attendance in this evening.🤗
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 14, 2021
She also explained during an interview on the red carpet the process behind designing the dress with Aurora James.
“We really started having a conversation about what it means to be working class women of color at the Met and we said, we can’t just play along, but we need to break the fourth wall and challenge some of the institutions, and while the Met is known for its spectacle, we should have a conversation about it,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
https://twitter.com/henryrodgersdc/status/1437582513757724676
The style of the slogan on her dress caused some to compare it to Chick-fil-A’s branding, as Fox News reports.
She was not the only one make a statement with her outfit.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) wore a dress decorated with the words “equal rights for women” and a matching bag calling for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York arrived at the Met Gala in a dress with streaming epaulets bearing the message “Equal Rights for Women” and a matching bag advocating for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Follow live updates: https://t.co/3Qv3ZdzRo4 pic.twitter.com/UOIoCc5pBT
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 13, 2021
She said in a statement, “Across the country, women’s rights are under attack.”
Across the country, women’s rights are under attack.
— Carolyn B. Maloney (@CarolynBMaloney) September 13, 2021
I have long used fashion as a force 4 change. As the Met Costume Institute reopens w/ their inaugural exhibit celebrating American designers, I am calling 4 the certification of the ERA so women can be equal once and for all. pic.twitter.com/ONbAJq4rOK
Maloney added, “I have long used fashion as a force 4 change. As the Met Costume Institute reopens w/ their inaugural exhibit celebrating American designers, I am calling 4 the certification of the ERA so women can be equal once and for all.”