What were the names stitched in Hillary Clinton’s Met Gala dress?

MAKING her first appearance at the Met Gala in over two decades, Hillary Clinton had to make a statement.

Clinton did so by wearing a Bordeaux dress with the names of 60 late women who she has looked up to in her life embroidered into its hem and neckline.

What were the names stitched in Hillary Clinton’s Met Gala dress?

The names, which were stitched in the same color as the dress’s fabric, were a shout to womankind.

Designed by Joseph Altuzarra, the 60 names on the dress included those of Madeline Albright, Abigail Adams, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Lady Bird Johnson, and her mother, Dorothy Rodham.

“I would’ve filled the entire dress,” Clinton said to Met Gala red carpet hosts Hamish Bowels and Vanessa Hudgens.

“We decided to stick with women who were no longer with us.”

What was the meaning behind the names on Clinton’s dress being hand-stitched?

It was meant to give the nod to the working-class people of the era.

According to: “Instead of taking inspiration from Gilded Age clothing favored by the likes of the Astors and the Vanderbilts, Altuzarra looked to homemade quilts in the second half of the 19th century.”

He paid particular attention to “friendship quilts” which were popular during the time.

These quilts were created together by members of the community to mark special occasions and were then signed by their creators (often using embroidery) before being gifted to a friend who was moving, getting married, or celebrating some other significant life event.

According to the magazine, “Not only was this a chance for Clinton to honor the women she looks up to but it was also a way to honor those homemakers and craftspeople who would normally not be featured in an institution like The Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

“I do think America has a very rich and long history of folk craftsmanship, which I thought was a really nice story to allude to,” Altuzarra told the publication.

“People who aren’t famous but who would quilt at home and create things for their families.” 

Who is designer Joseph Altuzarra?

Altuzarra is a Parisian-born designer, who now calls the US his home.

He creates ready-to-wear high-end pieces for women.

According to , Joseph was born in 1983, to “a Chinese-American mother and French father.”

“His multicultural upbringing and avid interest in different facets of culture–ranging from film to literature to craft–are key influences throughout his work.”

His pieces are available on the and at high-end retailers.

This isn’t the first time Altuzarra has been connected to Hillary Clinton.

In 2016, during her bid for presidency, Altuzarra designed a graphic t-shirt for the democratic nominee, which was officially sold through Clinton’s Made For History campaign.