Activists gathered in New York on Tuesday for a fashion show organised by Labor is Art, a group of Amazon workers and supporters, to protest against Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos serving as honorary chairs of the 2026 Met Gala. The couple donated $10 million to the event, according to the New York Post.
The protest show, held on Little West 12th Street, aimed to highlight that workers' labour, not billionaires, drives companies like Amazon. Alexia Sol, a trans activist who walked in the show, said: 'Billionaires are not the most important people in the world. The most important are the people.' Samari Jomar Mercado, an Amazon warehouse employee, described her work as 'very manual, a heavy lift, and by the end of the day, very painful'.
Separately, the UK campaign group Everyone Hates Elon reportedly dropped 300 small bottles of urine, each bearing a picture of Bezos, around the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The group projected slogans onto Bezos's apartment building on Sunday night, criticising the Met for honouring him.
Protesters emphasised the need for visibility and workers' rights. Shantiera Dubarry, a security guard, said the attention should focus on workers who helped build Bezos's wealth. However, she added: 'This is my protest. I offer peace and love.'
Designers and attendees also criticised the fashion industry's disconnect from consumers. Chris Mejia said billionaires are 'trying to sell us product without any character' and that fashion should celebrate workers, not profit.
