Why are People so Mad about AOC’s Vanity Fair Cover?
By: Justannet
Tags: Feminism, Politics, Women, Racism, Fashion

Why are People so Mad about AOC’s Vanity Fair Cover?

A dive into Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s fourteen thousand dollar wardrobe

December 2020 issue of Vanity Fair with AOC on the cover

Vanity Fair recently revealed its December cover which is starring U.S Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). On the cover, AOC is wearing a custom made white suit by Aliette, a New York based designer, and her signature red lipstick. On the face of it, nothing about the cover seems scandalous or controversial. So why exactly are people so mad about it?

Well, it all comes down to the price value of AOC’s Vanity Fair wardrobe. It has been the subject of many contentious debates online. Some critics (mainly Republicans obviously) felt that the fourteen thousand dollar wardrobe worn by AOC negated her socialist campaigns and supported elitism (everything that AOC stands against during her campaigns).

Before delving into the debates surrounding the cover shoot, it’s important to have an understanding of everything worn in the Vanity Fair shoot.

AOC’s Vanity Fair wardrobe included:

Aliette suit — $1000

Loewe suit — $2850

Carolina Herrera suit — $3000

Wales Bonner dress — $815

Christopher John Rogers suit — $2500

Christian Louboutin slingbacks — $695

Mateo diamond, gold, and floating pearl earrings — $1450

Bulgari earrings — $2000

Is the backlash founded?

Example of the online backlash surrounding AOC’s Vanity Fair photoshoot

As explained earlier, the backlash surrounding the Vanity Fair shoot is the value of AOC’s wardrobe. Critics believe that AOC should have remained true to her socialist roots and worn more affordable clothing. On Twitter, some have even made suggestions that the politician should have worn clothing from Target or Kohls. It’s been argued that,

By wearing designer clothing with exorbitant price tags AOC is a hypocritical socialist who gets to enjoy the fruits of capitalism.

A lot of the backlash surrounding the Vanity Fair wardrobe has been peddled upon a false narrative that AOC purchased the clothing that she wore in the magazine spread. This narrative is simply not true and exhibits a lack of understanding about how the fashion industry works and in particular how a magazine shoot comes together.

AOC did hit back at the critics, explaining that she would do the shoot again and it was worth it. She explained that the clothes were not her own and were borrowed by the magazine for purposes of the shoot. She refused to let the allegations made by Republican critics go unchecked and tweeted:

The backlash experienced by AOC isn’t unique to her. It raises larger questions around why there is always so much negativity surrounding people of color living their best lives and enjoying luxury. Recently, trolls came for Cardi B and her Birkins, accusing her of bringing down Hermès’s luxury brand status. An accusation that is racist and completely unfounded. Although Cardi B and AOC are in completely different industries, parallels can be drawn between how people treat them when it comes to access to luxury. The same negative energy is not experienced by Caucasian women or men.

It is unlikely that AOC’s critics had anything bad to say about Melania Trump’s Vanity Fair cover which involved extravagant jewelry and flouted the luxurious life she lives. Nobody, in that case, suggested that Melania wear clothes from target. These same critics have probably never questioned what brand of suits, Donald Trump wears. Is it because white people are more entitled to luxury than people of color? The racial bias cannot be ignored!

The hidden messages behind AOC’s Vanity Fair cover

The criticism behind AOC’s vanity fair shoot has somewhat overshadowed some of the great aspects the shoot was meant to highlight. The details of the shoot were well thought of. The white suit which was worn by AOC honors suffragettes. But instead of focusing on this powerful point, some people have chosen to focus on the suit’s price tag rather than the message behind it.

The Vanity fair shoot had numerous people from different backgrounds working on it, including the use of numerous designers of color. This was at AOC’s request. She wanted to bring attention to some amazing designers of color that have often been ignored. An example is the white suit worn on the cover of the magazine. It was designed by Jason Rembrandt, an African American from a district AOC represents, Queens. This move exhibits that AOC is constantly thinking about the people she represents, a fact that has been ignored by most of her critics.