The Met Gala has long been regarded as fashion’s biggest night, a global spectacle where celebrities compete for attention through dramatic couture, daring themes, and viral red carpet moments.
Every year, the conversation around the event usually centers on who served the boldest or most outrageous look. This year, however, the discourse has little to do with wardrobe.
Much of the spotlight is on billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, who reportedly donated $10 million to the event as leading sponsors and honorary chairs.
Online critics, alongside a British protest group called Everyone Hates Elon, have accused the event of glorifying extreme wealth at a time of widening economic inequality. The controversy has also reignited criticism surrounding Amazon’s labor practices.
That anger has spilled onto the streets of New York City — home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the venue for the Met Gala — in the form of posters, video projections, and more.
For the first time in years, Met is being overshadowed by political and socio-economic debate.
