Met Gala spotlights “Fashion is Art” with celebrities, Bezos controversy, and record fundraising

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The brightest stars in Hollywood, music, sports and style hit the red carpet Monday for the Met Gala, the extravagant Manhattan charity ball that this year spotlights the intersection between fashion and art. The A-listers invited to New York's biggest social event of the year have been asked to dress for the theme "Fashion is Art," which dovetails with the exhibit "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. This year's function has drawn controversy after Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos were announced as the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs of the gala, with some activists upset about the billionaire couple's involvement. But for the fashionistas, the Met Gala -- traditionally held on the first Monday in May -- is simply one of the world's top red carpets with blinding star power. Tennis legend Venus Williams and Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, who are co-chairing the event, were among the first to arrive. Kidman stunned in a shimmering red long-sleeved Chanel column dress with wide feather cuffs, while Williams glistened in a black crystal Swarovski gown with an elaborate neck plate. The 45-year-old Williams told Vogue the look was inspired by a painting of her in the National Portrait Gallery. Music mega-star Beyonce, another co-chair, had yet to make her highly anticipated appearance at the event -- her first in a decade. Rapper Doja Cat, one of several members of a gala "host committee," wore a draped latex Saint Laurent gown with a demure neckline -- but slit up to her waist. Of course, the entire evening is overseen by Vogue's global editorial director Anna Wintour -- the ultimate tastemaker in US fashion who has helmed the event for 30 years. The gala is a fundraiser for the Met's Costume Institute, and this year has raised a record $42 million (after $31 million in 2025), the museum's CEO Max Hollein told reporters early Monday. But it is also a social media extravaganza that sees stars don over-the-top looks, vying to create the greatest spectacle. Last year's event showcased the subversive style of Black dandyism, and was a rare Met Gala spotlighting men and male fashion. This year's exhibit juxtaposes elegant fashion looks with paintings and sculpture: think a Saint Laurent design next to Van Gogh's "Irises", or a John Galliano gown for Maison Margiela paired with an antique statue. "When I think about the show, if there's one word to describe it, I suppose it would be equitability or equivalency, equivalency between artworks," the Costume Institute's curator Andrew Bolton told AFP. "So there's no hierarchy between sculpture, painting, fashion, photography and no hierarchy between bodies, between the classical body or the disabled body." In the run-up to Monday, a campaign opposing the involvement of Bezos and his wife cropped up in New York's streets and subways, with some calling for a boycott of an event some see as a gross display of immense wealth. Behind the campaign is a group founded in Britain called "Everyone Hates Elon" -- which, a spokesperson stressed, "targets other billionaires" beyond Elon Musk, the world's richest person. Wintour said Monday that the couple had "shown with this event that they genuinely, genuinely care about giving back." The Met Gala was first organised in 1948 and for decades was reserved for New York high society -- until Wintour transformed the party into a high-profile catwalk for the rich and famous in the 1990s. The "Costume Art" exhibit, which opens on May 10 at the venerable museum in Manhattan, will seek to explore the "dressed body" in artworks across the centuries. Socialite Sabrina Harrison arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) US singer Jon Batiste arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) US model and actress Dree Hemingway arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) US singer Katy Perry arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)

Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams co-chair annual New York event alongside Anna Wintour; Bezos sponsorship has sparked criticismWhy the Bezos-backed Met Gala is so controversialThe Met Gala has had many moments over the last 10 years – Gaga in a shocking pink cape in 2019, Kim K in Marilyn’s dress in 2022 – but it has not had Beyoncé. The singer last attended in 2016, but as co-chair, she is back, and arguably the star attraction this year. No wonder when you look back at the outfits she has worn. Mostly designed by Riccardo Tisci when he was creative director at Givenchy, there’s the sheer black lace gown with purple feathers from 2012, the beaded black dress and veil from 2014 (the same night as famous elevator incident), the rubber gown from 2016 and – everyone’s favourite – the sheer, beaded nude bodystocking and side ponytail from 2015. With rumours swirling that the long-awaited rock-influenced Act III album will arrive soon, expect this year’s outfit to be mined for clues by the Beyhive.How is this for some next-level nail art? Ashley Graham has gone for silver metallic nails with painted fingers. It works really well against the wet look effect of her dress. That is by the Greek-born, London-based designer Di Petsa, who is known for her sculptural creations, some of which are included in the exhibition. Continue reading...