Iranian model Mahlagha Jaberi brought politics to the 2023 Cannes Film Festival red carpet by wearing a dress that featured a noose in response to the recent executions in her native country.
Jaberi’s political fashion statement set social media ablaze and drew as much praise as it did criticism. Jaberi’s dress was an all-black number designed by Jila Saber. It featured a form-fitting, floor-length gown that came to a soft puddle on the red carpet. The top of the dress appeared to be a gold tear-drop cut-out that wrapped around her neck at first glance. The gold feature was actually a noose sewn into the dress that hung around Jaberi’s neck. “Stop Executions” was written in gold on the back of the dress.
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Jaberi posted a video to her Instagram account along with images of the dress and a descriptive caption.
“We wanted to make a fashion statement to observe the glamour of Cannes, but more importantly, to bring media attention to the wrongful executions of Iranian people,” she said.
“Unfortunately, political statements are not allowed at the film festival and the security stopped me from showing the back of my dress, but the ‘noose’ meaning was well understood,” Jaberi wrote.
Iran has carried out at least 90 executions in the last 18 days in spite of continued condemnation from the Biden administration, according to The New York Post.
As innocent Iranians are being executed, @MahlaghaJaberi thought it would be a good idea to wear a dress that has a noose sown into it and then film a seductive video using a song that has become an anthem for protestors.
Absolutely disgraceful all around.
And then to end the… pic.twitter.com/0gbbxk3GP5
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 29, 2023
Jaberi’s fashion statement divided the internet. It drew outrage from leftist journalist Yashar Ali, who criticized the model for using her platform to push her political views.
“As innocent Iranians are being executed, @MahlaghaJaberi thought it would be a good idea to wear a dress that has a noose sown into it and then film a seductive video using a song that has become an anthem for protestors,” he wrote.
“Absolutely disgraceful all around. And then to end the video with ‘stop executions’ and no other context or information makes it unhelpful!” he said. (RELATED: ‘We Have Way More Power’: Eva Longoria Reveals Whether She’ll Enter Politics)
Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Doran called Jaberi’s dress an “eye catching” form of “protest,” and the Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, called her look “brave,” according to the New York Post.