**Virginia Boutique Owner Faces Legal Backlash for Displaying Trump Signs**

A dress designer and shop owner in Occoquan, Virginia, is grappling with unexpected legal issues after a perplexing incident involving a local woman and his support for former President Trump. Andre Soriano, notable for designing Joy Villa’s "Make America Great Again" gown for the 2017 Grammy Awards, found himself in hot water when he received a legal notice requiring the removal of Trump-supporting signs from his storefront.

Soriano described the initial encounter as pleasant but quickly escalated into a situation filled with irrational behavior and objections to the patriotic decorations outside his boutique. "The reason I put my Trump dress outside is, so I don't have to encounter [this]," Soriano explained during an interview.

The situation took an unusual turn when Audra Johnson, a political activist and friend of Soriano, recorded the incident. Johnson described the woman as being hysterically upset and even hiding in a bush at one point. "I have a video of her hiding in a bush," Johnson reported. The woman did call the police, prompting a lone officer to escort her from the store's entrance and take her to a nearby restaurant to calm her down.

Soriano and Johnson, who live above the boutique, decided to relocate the signs to their residences in an attempt to avoid potential fines from the city, although the signs had been displayed for years prior without issue. "We're just trying our hardest to not get fines we can't pay," Johnson noted, with Soriano adding, "We follow rules. We don't disrespect anyone."

As a business owner, Soriano is taken aback by the ordinances, holding firm to the belief that America is the "land of the free, not the land of what people think." Originally from the Philippines, Soriano’s family immigrated to the U.S. in hopes of achieving the American Dream. "I love America," he stated passionately.

Soriano's fashion career once thrived with clients like Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, and Courtney Love. However, his fortunes changed dramatically after designing the controversial "MAGA" dress in 2017. "That's when our lives changed," he recalled, mentioning the flood of death threats and the professional ostracism that followed from the Hollywood elite.

Johnson summarized their dilemma, stating, "We're in an industry where we can't just say what we want or how we feel. We don’t fit the mold." Despite the challenges, Soriano remains steadfast in his right to artistic expression, underscoring the importance of the First Amendment in American society.