Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez turned heads Monday night when she wore a dress that said “tax the rich” to the Met Gala, an event attended by New York’s elite.
The congresswoman said she wore the dress to the event to help promote her progressive message, something she has been vocal about since being elected.
“The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the Rich,” she posted on her Instagram.
Ocasio-Cortez thanked Aurora James, the designer of the dress and founder of Brother Vellies, for helping her “kick open the doors at the Met.”
“We can never get too comfortable in our seats at the table once they’ve been given,” James told Vogue. “We must always continue to push ourselves, push our colleagues, push the culture, and push the country forward. Fashion is changing; America is changing.”
Reactions to the dress were mixed, with some calling the look “iconic” and defending the congresswoman.
Others were calling her out on the “hypocrisy” of attending an event for the rich and famous in the first place, especially when Black Lives Matter protesters were being arrested outside of the event.
Ocasio-Cortez posted a response to her critics on her Instagram story Tuesday.
“Ultimately the haters hated and the people who are thoughtful were thoughtful,” she wrote. “But we all had a conversation about Taxing the Rich in front of the very people who lobby against it, and punctured the fourth wall of excess and spectacle.”
