How Amazon workers made glamour a form of protest

Glamour isn’t just for the rich and famous. As the ‘Ball Without Billionaires’ showed, the blue collar can bedazzle.

By: Eileen G'Sell, Washington University in St. Louis, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 8, 2026

Words: 1,487

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Eileen G'Sell, Washington University in St. Louis

Strutting down the catwalk in a Cindy Castro frock, 37-year-old Amazon worker Samari Jomar Mercado looked like an ethereal punk-rock fairy: sleeve tattoos, lace bag on her wrist and a white ribbon billowing from her nape like a flag. After a dramatic pivot and pit pose, she paused to salute her rapturous crowd.

“For years she worked 10 hours a day, six days a week … lifting …

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