Virginia designer of Joy Villa's famed 'MAGA' dress cited, forced to remove Trump signs from storefront

OCCOQUAN, VA - Andre Soriano, 54, a dress designer and owner of a shop in Occoquan, Virginia was cited by the city for displaying pro-Trump signage at his business. He was appalled to be cited again for displaying them from his home, and the home of his friend, colleague and political activist Audra Johnson. Both live above the shop and have displayed the signage for years.

As reported by Fox News, Soriano, who famously designed the "MAGA" dress worn by singer-songwriter Joy Villa at the 2017 Grammy Awards, said that the trouble began with what he described as a bizarre encounter with a local woman who summoned the police.

"I actually started a flag war here in Occoquan, Virginia," the clothier told the outlet. He explained that his initial encounter with the woman was pleasant at first but the tone rapidly changed as the woman reacted with irrationality and hostility to his patriotic display. He told Fox, "The reason I put my Trump dress outside is, so I don't have to encounter [this]."

Johnson recorded the interaction between Soriano and the woman he described as a "Karen" and posted it to social media.
 

This Liberal Karen has an argument with an immigrant Trump supporter for having Trump flags on his own property then cries about it and calls the police and the mayor. pic.twitter.com/vPaSUUMyJF

— TheLizVariant (@TheLizVariant) September 24, 2024

Johnson told the outlet, "I have a video of her hiding in a bush. I don’t know what she was doing."

"This wokeism is real," Soriano can be heard telling responding police. "The ‘Karens’ are real. They're crying for nothing. Because of a sign. Come on." The woman shown in the video was reportedly crying in hysterics as she called for police. An officer responded and removed her from the store entry. According to Johnson, she was escorted to a nearby restaurant.

"As an American citizen, as a First Amendment in our great nation, you can express yourself by putting your signs in your home and expressing who you are as an individual, whether it’s religion, whether it’s politics or anything that you feel, without harming anyone," Soriano told reporters. "That's just the freedom of artistic expression and being free in America, and nowadays, you can't even express that."

Johnson and Soriano are left wrangling with the city over the fines. "We’re just trying our hardest to not get fines we can’t pay," Johnson said. Soriano added, "We follow rules. We don’t disrespect anyone."

"I'm an American designer," Soriano said. "I am free to express and create whatever I want."