One of the wealthiest events of the year, the MET Gala has taken place. Whether it was one of the worst-dressed is still up for debate, but it was a night full of political statements. The Met Gala is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The theme of this year’s Met Gala was In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.

Amongst the sea of extravagant outfits, one that stood out was that of Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wore a white gown with red letters that read “tax the rich.” The gown was designed by Canadian designer Aurora James.

The message behind the dress felt out of touch considering a ticket to the event starts at $35,000 and the people attending are billionaires and celebrities. According to the Washington Post, the fundraiser event raised $16.75 million. Congresswoman Cortez in a Instagram post stated that, “And yes, BEFORE anybody starts wilding out – NYC elected officials are regularly invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing our city’s cultural institutions that serve the public,” and that the dress was borrowed from Brother Vellies.

AOC wasn’t the only one wearing an outfit with a political statement. Actress Cara Delevigne wore a vest designed by Dior that said, “peg the patriarchy.” 

Delevigne’s outfit came under fire in an Instagram post made by Luna Matatas. Matatas stated that the actress was stealing the phrase and calling it her own. 

Matatas posted on Instagram, “While I’m giddy that Peg the Patriarchy® made it to The Met Gala, @caradelevingne co-owner of @loradicarlo_hq tried to pull it off as their own. No credit to me, the creator and owner of the trademark. What’s grossest for me is the media interviews – with Cara blatantly owning it as if it wasn’t already owned. Sound familiar? *Coughs in colonialism*… I coined Peg the Patriarchy in 2015. Peg the Patriarchy is about subversion, not about an anal sex act and not about men. It’s a metaphor for subverting the system that requires subservience within a gender binary.”

New York Representative Carolyn Maloney wore a gown that read “equal rights for women” in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. In an article from People, the dress was designed by “Antonios Couture, a fashion house by Beirut-born couturier Ghassan Antonios.” 

Billie Eilish wore an Oscar De La Renta gown and announced that she worked with the designer under the condition that he stop using animal fur. 

Quannah Chasinghorse became the first Native American Vogue cover girl. She wore a custom dress designed by Peter Dundas in collaboration with Revolve. Chasinghorse called it an honor to celebrate “True (native) American culture. I celebrated my indigenous bloodlines coursing through my veins,” and that her “presence brings much needed visibility to indigenous beauty, fashion, art, and our communities, along with many of the things we face as a collective.”

This year’s Met Gala was one full of political statements ranging from the LGBTQ+ community and American wealth to animal rights. Another year of political statements at an event attended by billionaires and celebrities to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art rather than to the causes those celebrities champion. This year’s Met Gala was a lexicon of not just fashion but of the politics and the identity that makes up the United States.