Billionaire Dress-Up: My Thoughts on the Dystopian Bezos Met Gala

Taylor Champlin
1 hour ago
3 min read

I chose not to watch the livestream of the Met Gala this year. I’m still going to critique it, but I want to make it clear that I do not support a Jeff Bezos–sponsored Met Gala. He has amassed a fortune off the suffering of others and their financial desperation. That, hunny, is just downright cheap.

I believe the arts need more funding, that the Met Gala should continue, and that The Metropolitan Museum of Art deserves to host events that honor the great work of artists. However, what was once regarded as prestigious has transformed into a sickening display of wealth and a reflection of the dystopian society we’re living in.

I scrolled through every look and have been mostly underwhelmed. The theme of the 2026 Met Gala was “Costume Art,” with a dress code of “Fashion Is Art.” The human body, in all its different states, from pregnancy to old age, both clothed and naked, was emphasized. While the concept isn’t difficult to understand, it felt like a rather dull choice. Americans are already obsessed with bodies. In fact, there were a plethora of nipples.

While an array of physiques is not typically openly praised, something more imaginative might have helped make the carpet feel less lackluster.

The Met Gala is not the time to show up in simple evening gowns that could be worn to a wedding or a date night dinner. This isn’t prom. In fact, some of the looks from my senior prom were more fascinating, if I remember correctly. There are thousands of designers who would love the opportunity to create a custom look for “The Most Important Night in Fashion.” Be ethereal. Push the boundaries.

To be clear, I don’t think attending the Met Gala is bad in and of itself. Everyone who loves fashion has dreamed of attending at least once in their life, myself included. What makes the Met Gala special is seeing the greatest artists, tastemakers, and cultural figures walking the steps adorned in spectacular creations.

It’s an incredible platform for designers to be honored and to showcase imaginative designs, but that’s no longer what the event seems to stand for. It’s the people who make the event special, the workers, the designers, and the teams behind the scenes. Without them, none of this would be possible. I want to see the heart and soul put back into fashion.

I want money to be donated without predatory interests attached. Not everyone who attends the Met Gala needs to be a celebrity, but this year saw an overwhelming presence of billionaires. Not just wealthy people, billionaires, a phenomenon that arguably shouldn’t exist.

So many people around the world are struggling to meet their basic needs. Meanwhile, billionaires purchase Met Gala tickets at astronomical prices to attend an event they otherwise wouldn’t have been invited to.

It’s The Hunger Games meets “Let them eat cake.”

While I do want those with the means to contribute to the arts and meaningful programs, I’m proud of everyone who chose to boycott the Met Gala this year. I just hope the first Monday in May can return to some of its former glory, that it doesn’t become another cultural moment reserved strictly for the 1%.

I hope it can once again stand purely as a celebration of art.

In the infamous words of New York royalty Luann de Lesseps,