PAS #3 (spring): “Tax the Rich”

This passion blog will focus on a look at the 2021 Met Gala. The theme for this year’s Met Gala was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which focuses on the idea of American independence. There is a theme every year, and some people choose to go all out, while others keep it simple. This year, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did both in one look.

Alexandria is a United States Representative from New York. She has democratic views, which she expressed boldly at the Gala. She used rhetoric to get the message across that she wants taxes raised. Her dress has big red painted letters on the back which state “tax the rich.” 

The dress is a white floor-length gown custom-made by Brother Vellies. Alexandria used her Met-Gala moment to push her political ideas and draw attention to herself as a politician. She also took advantage of the theme to communicate with the people at home and everywhere else. 

The words on the dress are very bold and draw people’s attention. She succeeded in her goal of getting her opinions out to the world. 2021 was still Covid times, and she wanted the rich to be taxed more than the poor people who were struggling. There are many people in the U.S. who are under the poverty line, and her views express the want for the rich to pay more to give to them.

The dress fits her very well, and I like the contrast of the red letters on the all-white gown. I am not a huge fan of mermaid dresses, but it works here. I believe the letters are a bit aggressive, and the saying is a little over the top. She could have gotten her point across with something more subtle.

She used her position in office to show everyone at the Met-Gala what she believes should be changed in the country. It was a statement that did not go unnoticed, as this dress was the reason I decided on this topic for my passion blog. I remember this Mat-Gala and how the saying on her dress made many people angry. It may have done that, but that means she caught people’s attention and used her rhetoric. 

The dress could have been seen as an unnecessary political statement at a non-political event, but most things seem to be political nowadays. As a politician, I found it slightly unprofessional as she could have gone for something classier, but the dress was overall classy other than the red words. The Met-Gala is meant for fun out of the park looks, and she did that to an extent.

All in all, I think she looked good and partook in the theme, but the words could have been not so aggressive and more professional for a politician. Alexandria caught many people’s attention, used her invitation to the Gala to her advantage, and used her rhetoric to get the point across. 2021 was a challenging year for many, and she voiced her opinions on it.