Like Ahmed, Union took the red carpet to make a political statement. While Union's Versace dress was overall inspired by Black actress Diahann Carroll, Union shared that the red stone detailing accent at the base of her bun was meant to represent the blood shed during the Gilded Age. She told La La Anthony in a Vogue interview, "This country is built off of our backs, our blood, sweat and tears, so we added these red crystals to represent the blood spilled during the accumulation of gross wealth by a few during the Gilded Age, off of the backs of Black people and people of colour in this country."