How the Met Gala Transformed Into the Tacky ‘Bezos Ball’

May 5, 2026 1:24pm PT How the Met Gala Transformed Into the Tacky ‘Bezos Ball’

By Karla Cote

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Karla Cote

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For decades, the first Monday in May has marked one of fashion‘s biggest nights as A-listers from around the world descend upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art to attend the Met Gala. Since 2021, the first gala post-pandemic, its prestigious crown has started to slip.  

A wave of influencer integration in the 2021 and 2022 editions saw the gala transition from one of prestige and exclusivity to TikTok fodder. As influencers lost their footing at the gala, however, a new fear started to emerge: corporations (and the moguls running them) rising to the fore.  

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