Earlier this month, Vogue debuted the cover for their December 2020 issue, featuring Harry Styles. On the cover, Harry is wearing a dress, a move that has elicited reactions in the likes of Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, Logan Paul, and many others.
But this weekend, during an Instagram Q&A session, congressional AOC also weighed in, not just on Harry in the dress, but the multitude of reactions his fashion choices sparked. “What do you think abt Harry Styles wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue” one of her followers asked.
Here’s what she had to say: “It looks wonderful. The masculine and feminine elements are balanced beautifully — the hair and jacket styling give me James Dean vibes too. Some people are mad at it bc some folks are very sensitive to examining and exploring gender roles in society. Perhaps for some people it provokes some anger or insecurity masculinity/femininity/etc. Sit with that reaction and think about it, examine it, explore it, engage it, and grow with it. What’s the point of creating things if they don’t make people think? Or feel or reflect? Especially as an artist or creative? Who wants to see the same things all the time? And never explore their assumptions? Anyway it looks bombs (shrug emoji).”
In a later slide, she noted the historical implications of the gender fluid designer Harris Reed who is involved with the shoot after learning about them in a post from Alok. “Also, my context on this question had just been with seeing general right-wing critique of the image. I wasn’t aware of the historical context of the cover! With that, @alokvmenon has a thorough and nuanced perspective on this and the under recognized role of trans femmes of color worth reflecting on.”
Alok notes: “Harry is the first non-woman to appear solo on the cover of American Vogue… let alone wearing a dress!”
Read their full post below: