Lauren Sánchez Bezos has faced widespread criticism for her debut Met Gala look as honorary chair and lead sponsor of the 2026 event. The 56-year-old former journalist arrived at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in a midnight-blue mermaid dress with a heart-shaped neckline and beaded straps, designed by Schiaparelli.
This year's dress code, 'Fashion is Art,' encouraged guests to use their bodies as a blank canvas. Sánchez Bezos told host La La Anthony that her dress was a tribute to John Singer Sargent's 1884 painting Madame X, which hangs in the Met. She praised her stylists for doing an 'incredible job' and said she was 'so grateful to them.'
However, many on social media slammed the look as underwhelming. One user wrote on X: 'Sooo basic... They hosted this so she could have done anything. This is a disgusting disappointment.' Another added: 'Looks like she's going to the prom in 1992. So tacky.' A third quipped: 'With all that money she couldn't buy creativity.' Critics also noted the dress did not match the original painting's black velvet and satin.
The event, dubbed 'The Bezos Met Gala' by protesters, has faced backlash and a boycott campaign from the activist group Everyone Hates Elon, which distributed flyers reading 'Boycott the Bezos Met Gala.' The sponsorship has sparked outrage over accusations that Jeff Bezos and his wife are buying influence in culture, media, and politics.
Vogue's former editor-in-chief Anna Wintour defended the couple's involvement in November, telling CNN: 'I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event. I'm very grateful for her incredible generosity.'
