For the past year or so, a number of political statements have surfaced on the red carpet. Some are pretty subtle, like Evan Rachel Wood's suit at the SAG Awards, others are awesomely unabashed in meaning, like Tove Lo's uterus dress at the Aria Music Awards last year. Today, we bring to you another (brilliant) example of the latter. Actress Kathreen Khavari showed up to the Big Little Lies premiere last night in a dress bearing a very poignant, very clear message to President Trump and his immigration ban.
As you can see, the dress reads "My immigrant, Iranian mother teaches your kids how to read." The message may not be directed straight at Trump (though, judging by its bluntness, we're guessing it is). But it's packed with broader meaning that not all immigrants are precluded by their status and (often unfounded) reputation. A blog post Khavari penned for Huffington Post several years ago on why she played eleven different characters in her short film Brain Of Terror offers some insight into perhaps why the actress pulled this look for last night's premiere.
"And so while I gave myself a chance to play, I also intended to show the world that identity is shaped by so much more than ethnic origin or the country in which one’s parents were born," Khavari wrote. "Identity is complex, fluid, and can be ever-changing. Pigeon-holing a person or a group of people is not only damaging to humanity, but it’s beyond boring. Hopefully we’ll figure that out eventually."
Obviously, we're fans of strong women who don't need permission, but we get especially starstruck by those who truly use fashion as a platform to stand up for what's right. Because, during times like these, why not? We'll be keeping an eye on Khavari throughout the remainder of awards season in hopes we get more red carpet moments like this one.
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