Culture

AOC Wore A ‘Tax The Rich’ Gown To The Met Gala And Instantly Became A Meme

"AOC at the Met Gala like 'STOP BEING RICH'."

by Edwina Storie  14 September 2021
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in white dress with TAX THE RICH stitched in, then memed to instead say VOTE FOR PEDRO

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

Sauntering into the Met Gala, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) was there to make a statement. Her white gown by Aurora James dress (who was also there as her date) was slathered with red text that spelt out ‘TAX THE RICH’.

James told Ilana Glazer — who was working the red carpet for Vogue: “If you’re going to come somewhere like the Met Gala, and you’re the congresswoman, we would expect nothing less.”

Related
Billie Eilish Convinced A Massive Designer To Stop Selling Fur By Wearing Their Gown To The Met

“We really started having a conversation about what it means to be working class women of colour 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’,” AOC added.

Critics have been quick to point out a few minor hypocrisies in her fashion statement — like the fact that a ticket costs $30,000, and the dress would have also been wildly expensive. And by being at the Met Gala, she is in the same cultural class as the rich, (though she earns the standard congressional annual salary of US$174,000).

Still, no doubt AOC got people talking, which was the aim — and she no doubt would have had some awkward conversations with the wealthier guests of Anna Wintour.

Anyway, the memes:

And one for the AusPol enthusiasts:

Photo Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images