NEW YORK — The Met Gala drew bold costumes on Monday as celebrities embraced this year’s theme of “Costume Art,” while protesters outside targeted billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who sponsored the event for the first time.
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny was dressed up as an elderly man, supermodel Heidi Klum was draped in a Statue of Liberty costume, and singer Katy Perry went incognito in a silver mask.
Pop icon Beyoncé was among the most notable appearances of the night, returning to the Met Gala for the first time in 10 years as one of its co-chairs. Actor Blake Lively, who settled a lawsuit earlier on Monday with co-star Justin Baldoni over the filming of the 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us, also walked the carpet.
The annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has become known for its extravagant fashion and high-profile guests.
This year it drew protests against Bezos, who made a donation reported by media outlets at $10 million and was named honorary chair alongside his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos. The move led to calls from critics for a boycott over wealth inequality and workers’ rights.
Protesters held up giant letters spelling out “TAX THE RICH” and placards highlighting what they called the “Resistance Red Carpet.” One protester was detained trying to get into the event.
Actor Sarah Paulson walked the carpet in a grey tulle dress and long white gloves with a dollar bill covering her eyes, saying her look represented the “1 percent.”
Tickets cost $100,000 each, but most celebrities attend as guests.
This year’s exhibition marks the inauguration of the Met’s nearly 12,000-square-foot (1,115 square metres) Condé Nast Galleries and features nearly 400 objects from the museum’s collection, pairing garments with paintings, sculptures and other works of art.
“When you go through the museum, the only art form that connects every single gallery in the museum is the dressed body, so it’s this sort of commonality within art and culture,” said Andrew Bolton, head curator of the Costume Institute.
“Even if people say, ‘I don’t care about fashion,’ or ‘I’m not interested,’ you’re still making a statement by saying that.”
Other eye-catching looks of the night included social media personality Emma Chamberlain’s skin-tight dress with sleeves that hung to the floor, and actor Gwendoline Christie’s feathered headpiece and lifelike mask. Superstar Madonna arrived with a ship on her head and was joined by an entourage to fan out the long, grey train attached to her dress.
Men also used the night to move beyond the standard tuxedo. Canadian actor Hudson Williams, who starred in the viral ice hockey drama Heated Rivalry, opted for a powder blue suit and makeup that he said was inspired by the film Black Swan.
