A shop owner and dress designer in Occoquan is left at a loss after a bizarre encounter. She called the police to his boutique because he was exercising his First Amendment right by hanging Trump signs outside.
Andre Soriano is a well-known atelier designer, who designed the “Make America Great Again,” gown Joy Villa wore at the 2017 Grammy Awards. He received a legal notice that required him to remove all signs supporting former President Trump.
Soriano stated in a video that he had started a “flag war” here in Occoquan.
Soriano stated that although the initial moments of his encounter were pleasant, he soon encountered irrationality, and backlash over the patriotic décor perched in front of the shop.
Soriano stated, “I put my Trump dress out so that I wouldn’t encounter [this].”
Audra Johnson is a friend and political activist of Soriano. She recorded the incident and shared it on social media after Soriano texted her to ask for assistance.
Johnson said: “I have a video of her hiding behind a bush. I don’t even know what she did.”
Soriano tells the policeman in one of the videos, “This wokeism exists.” “The Karens are real. They cry for nothing. A sign. “Come on!”
“Karen”, a slang word, is used to refer to a White person who has a lot of money.
Johnson stated, “We have them always.” We love ‘Karens.’
Soriano and Johnson stated that women had thrown stink bombs into the store before and even popped their heads inside to shout derogatory words.
The two said that the woman had been crying hysterically in the street, and she did call police. Johnson claimed that a lone police officer took the woman away from the entrance of the store and she was then taken to a nearby restaurant to “calm down”.
Soriano stated, “As a citizen of the United States, and as someone who is protected by the First Amendment, you have the right to express your individuality, be it through your signs, your political views, your religion, or any other feeling you may feel without harming anybody.” “That is the freedom to express yourself artistically and be free in America. And today, you cannot even do that.”
Soriano, Johnson, and their families live above the store. The city cited them to remove Trump-supporting posters from the store. They removed the signs from their homes even though they had been hanging the signs for many years.
They were then cited again to remove some signs, but not the entire lot.
Johnson: “We are trying to avoid getting fines that we cannot pay.”
Soriano stated, “We obey rules.” “We respect everyone.”
The owner of the business is horrified by the ordinance, as he believes that America is “the land of freedom and not of what people believe.”
Soriano declared, “I am an American designer.” “I can express myself and create anything I want.”
Soriano is originally from the Philippines. His mother moved the family to America as a teenager in order to pursue the American Dream.
“I love America,” Soriano said.
The fashion designer claimed he had worked with stars such as Rihanna and Pharrell Williams. He also said Miley Cyrus, Courtney Love, and Courtney Love were once his clients. However, he was blacklisted after he created the “MAGA” dress in 2017.
He said, “That was when our lives began to change.” “We received death threats.”
Soriano stated, “There are many celebrities in Hollywood who are divisive and didn’t like President Trump.”
The creative director said that he had lost friends, clients, and business opportunities to California.
Johnson was blacklisted for her work as an actress in film and on stage when she was photographed with a sign reading “Trump is Your President” at Rosa Parks Circle, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Johnson stated, “We’re in a business where we cannot just say what we think or feel.”
