Featured Image Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Abaca Press / Alamy
Topics: Iran, World News, Cannes Film Festival, Film and TV, Fashion, Politics
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Iran, World News, Cannes Film Festival, Film and TV, Fashion, Politics
Iranian-born model Mahlagha Jaberi has faced some mixed reactions for wearing a noose dress to Cannes Film Festival.
Since January 1 of this year, at least 259 executions have been carried out in Iran, according to the United Nations.
Reported as the world's second-largest executioner, the country has seen two men hanged this month.
Mahlagha Jaberi - born in Iran - took to the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival wearing an outfit to raise awareness of the mass executions.
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However, her fashion statement has received some conflicting responses online.
Taking to Instagram, the 33-year-old model - who has over four million followers on the platform - shared a video and photograph of her in the dress.
The caption of the video reads: "Dedicated to the people of Iran. #76thcannesfilmfestival.
"My dress is designed by @jilaatelier. Incredible videographer by @joystrotz. Thank you for bringing our vision to life.
"Music by @shervinine. And special thanks to my manager Myhanh @mahlaghamanagement for making this all possible. #StopExecutionsInIran."
Unfortunately, not everyone shared Jaberi and her team's vision of the dress.
American journalist Yashar Ali condemned Jaberi's video of herself in the outfit.
He tweeted: "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 video with ‘stop executions’ and no other context or information makes it unhelpful!"
Shortly after, Jaberi uploaded another image of herself in the dress, and gave more context to the statement she was trying to make.
The design idea behind the dress, she said, was to 'observe the glamour of Cannes, but more importantly [...] bring media attention to the wrongful executions of Iranian people'.
"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 added.
And many flocked to social media in support of Jaberi and her 'brave[ry]'.
One Twitter user wrote: "I love @MahlaghaJaberi for using her platform effectively & with her simple yet symbolic dress made a stand against executions in Iran…I stand with her…"
"Since women’s clothing and freedoms are a large part of are being targeted in Iran, showing her body is an almost perfect form of protest, IMO," another added.
Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and founder of the Institute of the Future, Anton Gerashchenko, also responded to Jaberi's fashion statement: "Another brave woman. Maybe if women were the majority in politics, there would be no more wars? What do you think?"
Jaberi wasn't the only woman on the red carpet at Cannes to take the opportunity to make an important political statement, with Ukrainian-born model Alina Baikova wearing a, 'F**k you Putin' dress too.
UNILAD has reached out to Jaberi's reps for further comment.
To donate to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, which uses funds to document and research all incidences of human rights violations, visit its website or click here.