Aurora James shares the story behind AOC's divisive 'tax the rich' Met Gala dress
The Canadian fashion designer talks to Q’s Tom Power about her new memoir, Wildflower
When you send a famous politician to the Met Gala wearing a floor-length white gown that has the words "tax the rich" emblazoned on the back in bold red letters, you're going to get people talking.
For Canadian fashion designer Aurora James, getting people talking is kind of her thing. As the founder of the lifestyle and accessories brand Brother Vellies, James counts stars like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Meghan Markle among her fans. Not only that, she uses her influence in the fashion world to make real change, including paying artisans a living wage and putting pressure on major retailers to stock more products from Black-owned businesses.
In an interview with Q's Tom Power about her new memoir, Wildflower, James reflected on her roots in both fashion and activism, including the story behind the controversial "tax the rich" dress she designed for U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to wear to the 2021 Met Gala.
While the look immediately went viral and drew a lot of praise, some called the New York congresswoman a hypocrite for condemning wealth inequality at one of the world's most opulent and exclusive red-carpet events (a Met Gala ticket is priced at $30,000, though the entry fee was waived for Ocasio-Cortez).
James said it was important that the dress made a statement that was authentic to Ocasio-Cortez's values, but she "wasn't so much thinking about how divisive it would be."
"I think for me it was, 'OK, this is one of the largest fashion stages in the world, right? This is a brilliant woman who has very specific messages that she puts out into the world, and very specific ways of thinking,'" James told Power.
"As a designer, I always ask myself, 'How can I help this person show up as the truest and best version of themselves based on where they're going?' And I applied that same line of thinking with the congresswoman and decided that it made sense for her to bring a message into the room that she really kind of speaks to all the time…. It's important to show up as yourself in every room that you enter."
For Ocasio-Cortez, it was an exciting risk worth taking.
"In life, we can show up and take risks to try to continue to stand up for what we believe in or we can take the easy road, you know, and just sit at the table and be comfortable," said James. "But, I think, ultimately, when you're a politician and you're given a seat at the table, it's also your responsibility to continue asking tough questions.
"Fashion at its best sparks conversation and the dress definitely did that. Joe Biden was literally on TV the next day talking about, you know, the ultra-rich and their contributions. And I think in terms of the congresswoman, like, that's kind of her goal — so mission accomplished. Are there people who are going to be upset? Absolutely. And I think that people get even more upset when they see two women of colour being really brazen and speaking out about things. And, you know, I definitely felt the impact of that."
The full interview with Aurora James is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Aurora James produced by Vanessa Greco.