Anna Delvey : What does it say about American society ?

With 1.1 Millions followers on Instagram (@theannadelvey), Anna Delvey, from real name Anna Sorokin, has made a splash since serving her sentence. Having walked for the Fashion week of New York on September 12th, 2024, closing the spring-summer 2025 show of Shao, her appearance in the television serie Dancing with the stars carrying her ankle bracelet sporting a multi coloured crystal encrusted. Each appearance is reviewed by public opinion leaving the public to oppose different opinions. 

The past of a scammer

In 2018, the trial of Anna Delvey began. She was accused of defrauding $200 000 from hostel, airline companies, Riad, and creditors. She also obtained $25 Million for a social club x art gallery. For that, she has been charged at least for 4 years in prison (12 if she had not had funds from the Netflix series). She falsely claimed to be the daughter of a diplomat and sometimes of an oil baron. Anna Sorokin has been able to appropriate the codes to infiltrate the High-society to commit her crimes. She knew how to create fake bank statements and an illusion of wealth. 

The road to fame

First of all, in a general sense of admiration for the less well-off social class, her case has literally fascinated the United States. Vogue writes an article entitled « The amazing audacity » even going as far as calling her an « icon ». The very fashionable side that she knew even in force for instance during her trial by varying her outfits, play this role of « model » in a form in front of the cameras. Vogue also said about her look that « she never missed a beat ». 

Her personality has brought her a certain notoriety. One side of her personality is painted by critics as « haughty » and « crapey ». A part of American population has been able to attach to this character, of this young woman who has managed to infiltrate a fairly award-winning world, this class yet closed to a major part of the population, said by Raven Smith journalist in Vogue « Delvey has given the rest of us the chance to feel a bit superior ».

Going as far as to glorify it a little as in the vogue article where the victims of Delvey were paid the ridicule of having trusted her. We can talk about a bunch of persons who do relate to the ideology of Anna that inspires more than a scam but in this race to fame and to start from nothing.

In this idea of « it girl » who is a success and already used on the film canva as Pearl in the horror movie « Pearl », staring Mia Goth, where the famous quote went trendy on the social networks « Please I’m a star ». The idea of an obsession, sometimes unhealthy, to become a celebrity by all means. 

The clash of classes

There was a literal social class shock in this case by a « less wealthy » population who will generally know how to integrate into this vision while condemning its actions because, if we can say, doesn’t have the « audacity » to do so whereas the high society, who is affected, will find it rather indecent. This also says a lot about the class system in the United States being very closed and privileged which excludes a portion of the population who do not face the same problem. Opinions will then obviously divide. For example, ABC was accused of glamourising her crimes and using it. 

Anna Delvey’s reputation remains uncertain for the future but her ambitious continues to interest her audience with several projects in mind such as a podcast entitled « Anna Delvey show » or even a TV reality show called « Delvey’s dinner club ».